one...two...three....

four...

five....

six...

 seven...

Oh sorry I didn't realise you'd arrived

You just caught me sitting here

counting my breaths and thinking of 

this

as I start my meditation

Better stop now while you are visiting

and tell you why.

I have a massive  slight, very slight stress problem so

 my lovely GP sent me off to do a course in

 'mindfulness for managing stress'

an 8 week program modeled on the stress reduction clinic

 at the University of Massachusetts Medical School

and right in the middle of the program I picked up this book

For all of you, looking for a good book,

 it is delicious.

The beautiful heroine counts....and counts

 and then counts some more 

its about OCD, love, mistakes and life and 

 I highly, highly recommend it.

Toni Jordan the author 

gave me permission to print a quote from the book

 that describes exactly what mindfulness is

"Most people miss their whole lives, you know. 

Listen, life isn't

when you are standing on top of a mountain 

looking at the sunset. 

Life isn't waiting at the altar

 or the moment your child is born

 or that time you were swimming in deep water

 and a dolphin came up alongside you. 

These are fragments. 

Ten or twelve grains of sand

 spread through your entire existence.

 These are not life.

 Life is brushing your teeth

or making a sandwich

 or watching the news

 or waiting for the bus. Or walking.

 Every day, thousands of tiny events happen

 and if you are not watching, 

if you are not careful, 

if you don't capture them and make them count, 

you could miss it

You could miss your whole life."

Isn't that just a magic quote?

We are into week seven and 

 my neck and back are more relaxed, the headaches are gone!

I have started painting again and

I have found my patience once more

Best of all I am noticing the little things,

 the beauty that surrounds us, the music of nature

 and food...food is wonderful!

Life is a sensuous experience when you live NOW!

if you want to know more about mindfulness you can find it here

Goodnight