Focus
Hi Thinking out loud here :D
Welcome to Mindful Monday Week 6
Get a drink, maybe even a snack, and find a comfy seat so you can relax. Let all worries go for the next little while, and get ready for five deep breaths. If you have any problems with breathing, please take an extra mindful moment here. For those joining me in the breathing exercise, breathe out all the way.
Now time for your first deep breath in; take in one deep breath through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. Hold for 1.. breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. breathe in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. and hold for 1..2.. breath out for five through your mouth 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. two more to go breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. and hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. last one deep breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. now go back to your regular breathing pattern. I hope you feel calm and relaxed.
I want to start by first saying I hope you have a lovely start to your week; I hope that last week treated you well if it didn't let that week go, and start this week fresh and as you mean to go on. This brings us nicely into the MM topic for this week, focus. To be honest, I have been struggling with finding this week's topic, but with us now being into the second month of the year, I think the word focus is perfect. We are settled into the year, Christmas, New Year, and I know over here in NZ and Aus, the summer holidays are now over, and work for most people is back to some form of normal, albeit maybe a little different still.
I find that it can get a bit overwhelming with ideas flying around still for the year ahead around this time of year, as plans start to take place and calendars start to fill up. This can, in turn, leave us feeling a little bit uneasy and maybe a little anxious or like we don't have any spare time to sit and be. If you have been feeling like this, try reeling in what you are focusing on; if it is the bigger picture of what the whole year has in store, maybe try to focus on the little moments happening this year. Focus on those that are happening this week; take them step by step and as they come. Don't overfill yourself with everything you need to do all at once. Alternatively, if what you are focusing on at the moment isn't working for you or serving any purpose right now. Move your focus to the thing that is making an appearance or that thing you have been putting off and keep telling yourself, I'll do that one day; maybe now is the time to give that some air time.
Focus, though, can mean any number of things; it doesn't matter what I say it can be or what its dictionary definition is because it means different things to all of us. Try to think about what it means to you. Does it mean work, hobbies, life in general or something completely different? Whatever it might be, let it be a little challenge this week to try and find your focus. Let me know in the comments down below what focus means to you. I would love to know what it means to everyone. For example, for me, it means focusing on writing, getting away from procrastinating and starting the habit of writing daily again, along with the focus on practising yoga daily and making that time to get to my mat.
Let's finish with a three-deep breath breather.
Take one breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1.. breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. final breath in through your nose for five 1..2..3..4..5.. hold for 1..2.. final breath out through your mouth for five 1..2..3..4..5.. no hold here you can now go back to your regular breathing pattern.
As always, thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. I hope you have a lovely day.
Love always Thinking out loud xx :D
