Wellbeing & MIndfulness Green Coaching

This was taken on the last night of a 6 week coaching programme.  The first I had done for Adult Education at Community Education Whangarei, Kamo High School.  Have to say that Shona the co-ordinator is amazing and so organised.

These ladies are quite incredible.  They are just like you and me and yet how little we know of each other. 

We would spend the first part of a 2 hour session/lesson out doors walking with different focuses and environments. We started with a measure of how we were feeling before the walk and then after and you can guess, mostly it was always better. 

It was a real reminder to me about not really having to know or even understand when something feels good for you.  What is important is that you can give yourself space so that you notice you, notice what makes you smile, feel good, laugh and just um hits the spot and follow that as a guide.

I learned a lot from these ladies and was reminded that no matter what we are taught, or the tools we have unless we give ourselves permission and feel deserving to implement them then they will not work.  We only need to make it one tiny small step to show up.  It is a start.

These ladies taught me and reminded me that talking and sharing is one thing but it is in the doing and the being that is another.  I am grateful to them and we are all going to meet up in June to check in with our Wellbeing, Mindfulness and vision statements.  How cool.

Also half of us will being doing a fun/run walk, so how cool is that to be inspired to really walk the talk.  I am grateful. 

Mindfulness

Before you speak, ask yourself:  Is it kind, is it necessary, is it true,

does it improve on silence? - Shirdi Sai baba

It also makes me laugh for some reason. 



Wellbeing & Mindfulness

I have been attempting to be mindful and develop  my wellbeing for quite some years.  Always a working progress, please remember that. 

The other day, well I was not really owning up to how I was really feeling which was like this little dude.  I was trying to be all mellow, chilled, I have to walk my talk, right!.  Well nah, not happening.  I was ready to take anyone out, well slightly exaggerating for effect but seriously that hammer was ready.  I was surprised why I was feeling that way, using my poor head, which definitely was not mindful, present.  I was in the past, the future, reminding myself that I should be grateful, blah, blah, blah.  Oh I did try to get present and do some breathing, focus and nah!

And then it hit me, not the hammer!  The meaning of mindfulness, being present.  It means with ME, no matter what I am experiencing.  No where does it say it has to be for only pretty emotions.  Ah!  Not that I wanted to go here I certainly did not and honestly the more we do this the better.  So I decided to just sit in my agitation, whatever it was and be with it.  And I did.  I used some Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Techniques.  Just got this a previous post;

I allowed my thoughts to be and tried to let them pass on a cloud which worked for me this time, last time it was on leaves in a river.  I really did accept that I will continue to have thoughts and tried to let them go peacefully, and not judge if I don't manage that.  Did not manage totally but certainly made a big difference.

I did sit with my feelings and breathe (know this happens quite naturally - sorry had to put this in again, it makes me smile - I am easily pleased)

I tried to breathe and notice the breath - 3 - 5 times, trying to enjoy it and I did

I did connect to the feeling, and breathed into it, made room for it

I did not try to change how I feel, although it felt uncomfortable, but thats all

I did not try to make it ok, well, just a little bit but got back to not making it ok 

I did accept that it was there and it started to feel better already, just stopping the struggle, I guess as ACT would suggest, switching off the struggle switch.

Then I asked myself these questions;

• what shape is it?
• is it moving?
• is it solid, soft, heavy, light?
• what colour is it?
• what temperature is it?
• where in the body is it?
• how is it feeling?
• as suggested noticing the breathing and just sat with it

Honestly it really did help.  Later I went for a walk, which was brilliant.  Now I have to say that the walk alone may have worked, being outdoors, by the ocean, in the garden is so powerful and just being with nature. 

I guess overall it was a great reminder for mindfulness is that it is about being present with what ever appears and honestly the thoughts and what we attach to them are far worse then the actual situation. 

How would it be to give the techniques above a try, even if it is going for a walk or being in nature.   Enjoy

Wellbeing, MIndfulness with Natural Resources

It never ceases to amaze me just how refreshing and easy it is to be outdoors.  I look down from our balcony on to an amazing fern, which happens to be a favourite of mine.  Just looking makes me sigh, take a breath in and sigh again.  That is all it takes. 

We have a beautiful country here and are so lucky to be surrounded by such beauty and space.  I am passionate about many things and one of them is about being outdoors, just being mindful of where you are.  It does not matter how small the green area is or where, even if you cannot physically reach it, you can imagine it and if this hard then you look at a picture, the healing and clarity it can bring is profound and even more profound than that is that you really do not have to even try that hard.  If you can even for just 5 minutes give yourself permission to either be in it, day dream, look at a picture and just breathe the effects are so rewarding.

The other day I was a little overwhelmed and could not think.  So instead of reaching for another cup of coffee or nibbling through dark chocolate Brazil nuts, I went out and did some weeding.  I was really quite busy and went out.  Have to say that there were battles in my thoughts - what you don't have time and guess what I made time and guess what, how much more clarity did I have just being out there and how much better did I feel?  Another guess what, truly how much more effective was I?

I would really encourage you to consider connecting with the outdoors in some way, even for 5 minutes, a walk, a stroll, feeling the breeze by the ocean, even a walk around town in a way that is a stroll and notice say the sounds, you will be surprised how many birds you might hear above the traffic.  Even just strolling and breathing in a relaxed manner will make all the difference. 

I am doing more and more coaching outdoors for wellbeing and mindfulness.  Even if it is hard to actually be there, we have wonderful imaginations and pictures to help us.