Mindfulness weekly idea July 1-7 2019
Hi everyone. I want to apologise for not having posted here for quite some time. I have had a very difficult period with lots of dark thoughts, and I needed to focus on myself. I am feeling slightly better, and I hope I will keep improving.
So, back to our mindfulness practise 😊
Today you will create your own special place. Your special place can be somewhere real or imagined. It is a place you can visit in your mind at any time. Your special place is safe, calm and peaceful.
Sit in a chair or on the floor. Get comfortable.
Start to take slow and deep breaths. With each breath let out any tension you may have. As you breath, check for any tension starting with you head, jaw and neck. Continue down to your shoulders, chest and back. As you continue to breath check for tension in your belly and buttocks. Check your legs and feet. As you do, you feel calmer and more relaxed.
Close your eyes and think about a place real or imagined where you feel safe, relaxed, calm or happy. This could be a beach, in the mountains, your bedroom or in a tree. Maybe you have been there before, maybe it is made up.
Once you have an image of your special place give it more detail: what sounds do you hear in your special place? What is the temperature? What colours or shapes do you see? What does your special place feel like?
Make sure everything in your special place makes you feel calm, safe and relaxed. Take anything out that you do not like. You can be alone or you can have a trusted person or animal with you.
Move around your special place and notice how you feel relaxed, peaceful and calm. When you are ready open your eyes.
Questions for discussion
1) Can you draw a picture of your special place?
2) When can you return to your special place? When would this be helpful?
3) What did you notice about your special place?
Ops! I forgot to tag you all here! Sorry!
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1) Can you draw a picture of your special place? Yes, its this cute cabin in the wood with a stone path to a bubbling brook. I have cats outside and cats inside. They all are cuddly and they comfort me. Their boiwks never run out of food. My cabin on the inside has a space for everything, several book shelves around my desk. My bed is fluffy and firm with tons of comfy pillows. I sleep like a baby. My kitchen never runs low on food and coffee is always made perfect.
2) When can you return to your special place? When would this be helpful? Whenever I can focus enough to mediate, sometimes certain songs can help me get to to the same spot.
3) What did you notice about your special place? I feel secure, comfortable and at home.
@Rebekahwriter13
Your description of this cabin in the wood felt very vivid to me. It sounds like a wonderful place where to experience calm and joy.
@admaiorasemper its hard for me to get there my anxiety and depression is high.
@Rebekahwriter13
I hear that, and I relate to it. Anxiety and depression keep us away from those things that could actually make us feel better. This is how they work, but this is also how we can beat them.
I usually do this activity when I am in bed, in the dark. It does help me to fall asleep. I should just remember to do it every night. I have noticed that the more often I do it, the easier it becomes.
*hugs for you*
@admaiorasemper even just doing errands drain me.
@Rebekahwriter13
I really get that. When we are depressed, even doing errands feels overwhelming.
It's kind of funny, we are told we have to listen to our body when we decide whether to rest, sleep and eat. But sometimes, our body gives us the wrong messages or we fail to interpret them correctly. When we are depressed and we feel exstausted, we think that our body wants us to become inert. But our body's message is actually very different. It wants us to start moving so that our energy can return. It is all related to the blood flow.
So I am proud of you for still being able to do errands 
@admaiorasemper I did do the errands but I snapped at my family. I'm frustrated because we are on a very tight budget. However my mom and I got out
@Rebekahwriter13
Let's rewrite that and focus on the positive: you snapped at your family, but you got out with your mum and did the errands :)
Try to be gentle with yourself as much as possible, you are going through a challenging time 
Here for you if you need to talk
@admaiorasemper thank you I'm nervous I have to see a new therapist later today
@Rebekahwriter13
Another thing to be proud of! That's really great news. I understand being nervous... who woldn't be? It is not always easy to open up and give trust, you may wonder if that's going to happen, if you'll feel understood and taken care of. I hope this counselor turns out to be a great match for you. Well done for this new start!! I'm sending you a safe hug and positive energy to help you make the most out of this day!
1) Can you draw a picture of your special place?...... I'm not much of an artist, BUT.. I can draw the "high-lights" and "main-points"~
2) When can you return to your special place? When would this be helpful?...... I was hoping to return there this coming weekend, but, plans changed. Now Hoping to plan to return there sometime next month in August~ .... .And also, it would be helpful whenever I need to get away from it all or feel stressed out.
3) What did you notice about your special place?...... Just how beautiful it is, and how it always calms me and puts me at peace~
@admaiorasemper
@PoliteOcean
I get it is a real place for you then! You could still visit it in your mind at any time, and try to experience the same feeling of calmness and joy it usually brings you when you are phisically there
@admaiorasemper
yep.. I sure do! I think of it often no matter what time of the year it is~ Or if I want to feel calmer or more peaceful, or even just to think ahead on having something to look forward to.... I will go to this place in "my mind" until I am there "physcially"~
My special place is a cabin in the mountains in the fall of the year. It is on the side of a mountain and from the back porch you can see a lake in the valley where geese swim peacefully. The porch wraps around the cabin, near the front door there are several rocking chairs. When you walk in the front door there is a cozy den to the left, with a fireplace that is burning. just to the right of the front door there is an open staircase to an upstairs loft bedroom and studio. Behing the stairs there is a small kitchen and dining area.
There are windows everywhere. You can see the ambers, reds, and golds of the changing leaves for miles.
I return whenever I like. If I'm having trouble sleeping, I go this cabin and walk around. I sit by the fire and pet my cats. I sit on the front porch and watch the sun rise. I go to the kitchen and make coffee while I smell cinnamon rolls baking.
@MissPen
This is beautiful. I could imagine myself there too, it brought me a sense of calmness. Thank you so much for sharing this.