Mindfulness Corner

We are living in a day and age with many external and internal challenges. Our society, businesses, families, schools, and communities are yearning for peace. How can we contribute to peace and still ensure our own needs are being met? Buddhist philosophy suggests that we all share a responsibility to reduce and eliminate suffering in the world. Like so many aspects of life, this starts, but does not end with us.

What is the most effective way to eliminate our internal suffering? Self-awareness is a first step. The prescription for self-awareness is to recognize that there is no duality in the world. The adage of yin and yang, happy and sad, rich and poor, all exist in our physical universe, but do not govern our state of mind. When we become aware of all the dualities in the world, we might just relax more, stop competing so much, being jealous, having to accumulate, and simply become our best selves.

One way to move beyond duality is practicing the 3-Sync method 1-2X daily for at least 5 minutes each try. The 3-Sync method aligns our physical, emotional, and mental states. Start with your eyes closed if you can and complete a physical scan of your body. Start with your feet working upwards. Examine every nook and cranny of the body, paying attention to any sensations, aches, pains, or physical troubles. Do not judge, just observe your body as you move up through your torso, arms, shoulders, hands, neck, face, crown. There is nothing for you to do but be present.

Next move into becoming fully present of your emotional state. Observe if you are angry, sad, anxious, happy, you name it. See if your emotional state is tied towards your physical state at all. In your awareness see if you can begin aligning your emotional and physical states into unity.

The final sync is our mental state. Become aware of what are your predominant thoughts, and what is the source of them. If you are consistently having angry thoughts, or you are shaming yourself for something you did today or in the past, pay attention, do not judge, and allow whatever that mental state, thoughts, to simply be. See if there is any relationship between your thoughts, emotions, and physical state. Work at aligning these three aspects of Self with your purpose as a parent, friend, colleague, and your professional responsibilities.

Continue breathing on a four count in and a four count out, holding each inhalation and exhalation longer. Permit yourself to be washed over in peace and extend that to everyone who exists in your world.