Rewiring the Brain: Deal with Negative Emotions

Every now and then
Difficult situations in life
Surround us
Filled with pain,
Engrossed in fear,
We continue...
And life like an unfaithful partner
Continues to hit us where it hurts most...
-Dunija Rothschild 

You will not find a single person in the world who has not been hit by life, the miseries and sufferings of life are universal. But as Buddha discovered about 2500 years ago, there is a way out. Mindfulness is one such way: A technique perfected and practiced by many meditation practitioners.

Mindfulness is not difficult, rather it is very easy and by habituating the following seven points in your life you can change your life for good. In the starting, it may seem a little difficult, but keep these tips in front of you every day and slowly you will discover the changed you, the transformed you.

  • Practice Gratitude: Be grateful for the blessings you received. And believe me there are many things to be grateful for. Being grateful reminds you to enjoy what you have. Start the day by writing down three things that you are grateful for when you wake up.
  • Strectch and Release:  This will help you anchor to the present moment. To practice clench your hands into tight fists, stretch your legs and hands, stay in strectched position for 10s and then release. Repeat the process of stretch and release for roughly 3 times. An important  thing to remember is release slowly.
  • Notice the Environment: During the day whenever you get the time take your eyes off you, explore the world. Just notice the people, the animals, the birds, the plants, the sky any object around you. Try not to judge anyone, or anything just observe and see the wonder in it. (Atleast 5-10 minutes)
  • Breathe Deeply: Breathing changes the way we think, try to make your breathe rythmic, the time to inhale = time to exhale. with rythm try to increase the duration of breathe.
  • Listen, don’t just hear: Next time you are in conversation with someone, try to notice when you judge the person. Once you notice it, you can attempt to avoid judgement and instead just focus on the content of conversation.
  • Watch what you eat: Avoid eating infront of TV. Feel your body and your senses as you eat. This way you will not only enjoy the food, but also be able to listen what food (and how much) your body needs.
  • Mindful Shower: This is one time where you are with yourself and so the best time to start practicing mindfulness. Simply become aware of water touching your skin, flowing through your body. Feel the wonder of it, feel the ecstasy of it.