You don't need to work so hard to repress unpleasant thoughts; instead learn how to shift your sensory input.

Most of us will have experienced times of stress or anxiety in our lives and know how it feels when the more we try not to think about whatever the stressor is the more we seem to end up thinking about it !

As these patterns of neural activation strengthen with repetition, unpleasant thoughts reinforce and become more problematic with each passing day.

Continual worrying about the future and thinking about the past leads to internal unrest. Our tendency is to experience anxiety around our future and regrets and frustrations about our past.  

To displace this, we need to seek ways to change our focus, bringing it back to  being PRESENT  and in the MOMENT.  Most of us know that it's often been said  that the best time of our lives is the one we are living in NOW, not the past, not the future. Today is the reality, it is the most alive we are ever going to feel, to be!

When your mind is racing, have you noticed how your body becomes tense and tight?  And the more you try to calm your thoughts, the faster your brain spins,  losing clarity of thought with that dreadful feeling of overwhelm and loss of control.

Neural circuits are deeply embedded, especially the unpleasant ones that we instinctively fight. To overcome our way of ‘thinking’, to break the circuit let's turn our attention to Active Meditation.

Have you tried Active Meditation  and what is it ?

Active Meditations originates in Eastern philosophy.  And  can be accomplished by following these 3 Steps:

1 Relaxation

2 Stabilization

3 Focusing on a sensation.

Because for most of us it is very difficult to outrun our repetitive thoughts adopting a means to shift our thoughts away by activating more functional and enjoyable pathways is something worth trying.  It’s relatively easy (with a bit of practice and dedication)!

Relax

Sit back in your chair close your eyes and loosen up a little, allow your shoulders to sag, relax your jaw, and take a long deep breath in, then slowly let it go you should feel a sense of relaxation flowing through you.

Stabilize

Continue to take deep slow breaths for a further 10 to 20 seconds (longer if you have time), your sense of calm will gradually increase and anchor you to your time and place. Continue to relax taking deep slow breaths for another 10 to 20 seconds.  This allows you to stabilize yourself.

Sensory Focus

Bring your attention to a sound from your immediate surroundings, this can be anything, a bird outside, the wind in the trees, the sound of footsteps outside the door, the noise of the air-conditioning unit (you get the idea). Maybe try to tune into another sound or sensation, the smell of newly cut grass, the smell of fresh coffee brewing. By doing this you are controlling your own narrative, taking a break, stepping back from the chatter in your head.  This is active meditation.

Benefits

Mindfully living in the present is a skill many of us have lost. But if we can recapture this opportunity, practice it, and learn from it then it will become a valuable tool with far reaching potential to improve just about anything you set your mind to! There's so much joy, and beauty in the World around us, there's so much we can be grateful for. Take the time to slow down, appreciate and regain control. Stepping back from the noise in our heads frees up space to think clearly and focus on being present in our own lives.

Next steps

Try Active Meditation for the next 30 days. Build moments into the morning, noon, and evening of your day. How do you feel – write it down and reflect, contrast how you are coping. Are you enjoying things that previously you didn’t notice? Do you feel more in charge of your day, your thoughts?

Sometimes no matter how busy, how challenged we are feeling when we take these short moments to actively meditate, we are creating longer lasting benefits for our health and well-being. It costs nothing, just a few moments each day, several times each day to make a lasting and positive impact on your day-to-day life. 

At NOLAVA Designs we have a range of effective and practical ways to support Meditation and Mindfulness Practice:

Lotus Eye Pillow – weighted with flax seeds and scented with soft French lavender it’s like a tiny, weighted blanket for your eyes. Weighted eye pillows have been shown to calm the vagus nerve and support a more relaxed state. It's a small investment in something that can bring long lasting benefits. Learn more about Lotus Eye Pillows 

NOLAVA Round Zafu Meditation and Square Zabuton Cushions can be used singly or as a set to provide comfortable support for relaxation and extended meditation. Many yogis choose these cushions for restorative yoga asanas because they add comfort and support for extended poses. Learn more about our range of Meditation Cushions

The NOLAVA App – this is a complimentary gift from us to you.  Developed to support your user experience with NOLAVA Designs product. The NOLAVA APP offers a range of nature soundscapes, calming meditation music and several guided meditations to help get you started on your journey towards your calmer and more mindful life.

Check out our website for other resources to help you to LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE EVERYDAY.

Namaste