Mindfulness and harmony go hand in hand.  When we live mindfully, we are in harmony with ourselves and with the world.  We are tuned in to the wisdom of our heart and the interconnected nature of all living things.

Mindfulness Tip #3   Bring awareness to the fact that what you choose in the present moment influences what happens next.  Know that great possibilities and opportunities for growth exist in every moment of our lives.  See with clarity the course you are currently on and mindfully chart a path for yourself that is congruent with the rhythm of your heart.

Buddhist saying:  “Be a light unto yourself.”

Mind Master is pleased to present a series of open discussions on Mindfulness and Meditation at Wilson Centre, 2150 Wilson Avenue, Pot Coquitlam, B.C.

Friday, January 24, 2014  10:00 – 11:00 am.  “The Wisdom of Meditation” There are treasures within each of us awaiting discovery.  Find out what your infinite well of resources holds and join fascinating discussions on the fundamentals of practice.  Like rehearsing a new language, you will access another world beyond your conscious knowledge.  Have fun creating your own personal meditation for improved mental energy, creativity, and intuition!

Friday, February 21, 2014  10:00 – 11:00 am. “The Art of Meditation” is a timeless path to pure happiness. Learn the pleasure and richness of meditation for yourself in this experiential journey that takes you through a variety of relaxation exercises to soothe your mind and body.  Practice sitting, breath counting, inner exploration and moving band meditations to release tension and experience more joy and inner peace.

Friday, February 28, 2014  1:00 – 2:00 pm  “Everyday Mindfulness” is a learned habit.  If you are stuck on auto-pilot and not sure how to advance yourself, join this session to learn practical tips for living mindfully every day.  Develop greater awareness and more peace through healthy rituals you can practice immediately.  Enhanced quality of life is your reward when you live mindfully every day!

The cost for each session is only $5 for members and $8 for non-Wilson Centre members.  Register early as there are limited seats available.  Register on-line at experienceit.ca, by calling Wilson Centre at 604-927-7529 or in person at 2150 Wilson Avenue, Port Coquitlam.

Mind Master is pleased to present a series of 3 sessions on “The Healthy Brain“.  The first of these sessions, titled “Happy Brain” takes place on Thursday, January 30, 2014 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm at Glen Pine Pavillion, 1200 Glen Pine Court in Coquitlam.

A happy brain is one that performs well.  Along with adequate sleep and regular exercise, there are 5 other important practices that contribute significantly to optimal brain health.  Learn what these are and practice a few before creating your own personal plan for maximizing brain power!

The second session, titled “S.O.S. Soothe Our Stress” takes place on Monday, February 17, 2014 from 9:30 to 11:00 am at Glen Pine Pavillion.  Science has proven that stress inhibits optimal brain functioning.  Join engaging discussions to learn new mindful ways for lowering stress and keeping it under control.  Bring stories of challenges, personal or otherwise, to practice creative problem solving and group brainstorming.  Note: stories will be randomly selected as time allows. 

The final session, titled “M.E. Managing Emotions” takes place on Thursday, March 27, 2014 from 9:30 to 11:00 am at Glen Pine Pavillion.  Anxiety, fear, hurt, and sadness can get the better of us if we allow.  Difficult emotions upset brain balance and hinder our ability to think clearly.  Learn effective strategies for managing emotions and restoring equilibrium to ensure optimal brain performance for years to come!

The cost for each session is only $10!  There are a limited number of seats available. Register on-line at coquitlam.ca/registration, by calling Glen Pine Pavillion at 604-927-4386, or in person.

Register early to avoid disappointment!

Your mind is a garden.  Cultivate an expansive field with rich and fertile soil for optimal growth.  Sow seeds of what you wish to harvest and be patient as abundant gardens flourish in their own time.

Mindfulness Tip #2   Ground yourself in the current moment through breath.  Allow any thoughts that arise to drift away, just as they had drifted in.  Focus on the here and now, free of past events and future predictions.  Immerse yourself in awareness of the present moment with the intention of embracing calm.  When ready, listen for insights from your heart.  These are the seeds you must nurture in your beautiful garden.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”   ~Oliver Wendell Holmes 

Mental fitness is all about maintaining equilibrium.  When difficulties arise, our body may show signs of stress and fatigue while our mind becomes cloudy and confused.  We cope by responding in one of two ways: consciously or unconsciously.  Conscious  responses involve mindful intention while unconscious responses involve habits without forethought.

Between every event and outcome is a window of choice.  Do habits prevail or mindful choices?  As we begin the new year, tips for mindfulness will be the focus of upcoming posts.  There will be a new tip each week that you can immediately apply to your every day life.  Simple and easy,  it just takes a moment of awareness and your commitment to the process.  Let us start afresh with plans to consciously incorporate more mindfulness into our daily life and override old habits for natural peace within.

Mindfulness Tip #1   The most basic habit of mindfulness comes from focusing on breath.  This conscious act brings you to the current moment, integrating mind and body.  Focus on the quality of each breath.  Is it fast or slow, shallow or normal?  Take a few slow deep breaths and allow any tension you may feel to leave your body with each exhale.  Give your mind a mental coffee break and allow thoughts to settle.  Practice mindful breathing throughout your day.  If necessary, post a note to remind yourself, set an alarm, or link this new habit to another routine activity.  Cultivate the habit of focused breathing for a powerfully refreshing start to the new year!

“All life is flowing, 

a continual process of becoming,

change and transformation.”

                                                                     ~ N. Mahathera

Mind Master is pleased to announce that this year’s recipient for annual charitable donations is the Alzheimer Society of B.C.  This non-profit organization provides free support groups and educational workshops for caregivers and individuals living with the disease.  Alzheimer’s is a common form of dementia which affects memory and normal cognitive functioning.  According to the Alzheimer Society, there are currently half a million Canadians living with some form of dementia.  Although no cure has yet been found, it has been proven that positive lifestyle choices can significantly slow progression.

Make mental fitness and wellness a priority today!  In closing, I would like to thank everyone who attended Mind Master sessions over the past year and contributed to the good karma of charitable giving.  All the best to you and your loved ones for a happy and healthy 2014!

As 2013 draws to an end, I hope you are feeling a growing sense of inner peace within, having read and hopefully practiced a few of the four preceding tips.  This final post for the year reveals the last tip which involves mindful creation.

Tip #5:   Reduce or eliminate negativity.  Negativity is derived from both internal and external sources.  Examples of external sources include negative marketing campaigns, toxic people and all forms of media news.  Each of these contribute negative energy to your environment  while negative self-talk and self-doubt keeps the pot simmering within.  Take action against negative energy by raising awareness of its presence and mindfully creating a positive environment for inner peace.

Take a vacation from external negative forces and resist watching the news for a while, especially before bedtime.  Abstain from television dramas, video games, and documentaries that showcase violence in any form, verbal or physical.  Be vigilant with every negative energy that enters your awareness.  Stop negativity within by practicing compassion for yourself and loving-kindness meditation.  There is a time for engaging in the world and a time for withdrawal.  Maintain healthy boundaries and mindfully create an environment conducive to inner peace.          

Inner peace is available when you surrender to the flow of life and trust the nature of evolution.

Tip #4  Embrace change.  Change is a natural force that moves continuously throughout our entire lifetime.  See change as a normal and necessary part of life.

Change is often difficult because it involves endings.  Consider a different perspective.  What if change were viewed as beginnings, opportunities to grow and explore new adventures?  How would you approach change differently?  Perhaps you might adopt a more positive outlook, fuelled by hope and optimism.

Change is basically a transitory state.  It is a place where you move from one situation to another, one perspective to another, or one behaviour to another.  Focus on excellent self-care during transitions and heed your intuitive voice within, the loving nurturing part of yourself that supports your best interests.  Allow space for compassion to arise and time to heal emotional pain.  Make self-care a priority during changes and a sense of inner peace will wash over you very naturally.

Inner peace may feel elusive at times.  This is especially true when we adhere to old belief systems.  The third tip for inner peace involves personal responsibilities.

Tip #3:  Take responsibility for your life and accept the current realities.  What is reality?   You can determine this by assessing the degree of truth in beliefs you hold.  Explore your feelings both with the belief and without it.  For example, if an old friend has not called you for a long time, you may believe that they no longer value your friendship.  To test this, ask yourself if you are 100% certain of this.  Most of the time, a margin of doubt exists.  Ask yourself how you feel believing they no longer value your friendship.  Maybe it is sad or angry.  Now ask yourself how you would feel without this belief.  Perhaps it might be joyful and relieved.  Take time to figure out the root of your beliefs.  You may discover they are rooted in old thinking habits.  In this example, you may discover a lack of confidence or self-love that requires attention.  Take responsibility for your own happiness in life.  It is essential work that we must each do for ourselves.  Inner peace awaits.

Inner peace involves a state of deep contentment.  Coming to terms with all parts of your life, past and present, is an important part of inner peace.  This second tip involves letting go and becoming fully present.

Tip #2:  Free yourself from past problems and worries about the future.  Know for certain what you can control and what you can’t.  Let go of what you cannot control.  Embrace what you can control and that is your choice of responses and emotions.  Choose a state of calm trust, believing that everything is unfolding in its own natural way.  Remind yourself how everything in nature unfolds in its own perfect time.  Trust that you and others are also evolving in the same natural way.  Then let go of cumbersome thoughts and immerse yourself in the present moment.  Engage your senses in your current task.  For example, if you are walking in nature, feel the ground beneath your feet, smell the air, notice the plants and wildlife around you, and the colours of the sky.  Immerse yourself in your experience and allow a sense of inner peace to wash over you.  Inner peace is available to all of us, whenever needed.  Open your mind to make space for inner peace.