Taking a pause: Empathy, Compassion & Mindfulness

First off I would like to preface this post by saying that in no way do I claim to have mastered these concepts nor do I think they can ever be fully mastered. With that being said, I am making a very conscious effort to evolve and make them a part of how I live my life every day.

source 

• Empathy
• Compassion
• Mindfulness

Each of these things can come naturally or can be incredibly difficult depending on a myriad of factors present in your own mind or surrounding environment.

BUT I believe that if they are carefully cultivated they can enrich your life immeasurably.

Taking a moment to yourself to evaluate someone else’s perspective as well as your own reaction to a situation can make all the difference in the world.

Mindfulness, empathy and compassion require continual awareness of the fact that there is a bigger picture. Life is not just your direct experience. It’s not all about you.

EVERYONE has SOMETHING “going on”.

 Once you become presently aware of that fact it becomes much easier to take a pause and consider where someone is coming from, why they may be reacting in a particular way or doing / saying something. Everyone is raised differently, has had different experiences and will therefore process and react to things in a way that may be different from your own. This is okay and needs to be accepted.

Stop for a moment. Breathe. 

Become aware of your reaction & make the conscious decision to be positive.

Be present and remove judgement. 

Smile. Make more eye contact. 

Show others they have value.

You will be happier for it.

You would be shocked at the way you will be received by others and the level of comfort and emotional openness you can reach in all interpersonal relationships if you adopt this practice.

Self-reflection and personal growth is a never ending journey that just keeps getting better... Enjoy it!

love & light

-Katie

Meditation: the catalyst of my awakening

“Today I choose joy and accept the things that I cannot change”

I originally became interested in practicing meditation as a coping strategy during a very stressful time in my life.

I used it as a means of separating myself from the negativity that surrounded me, to see past superficial issues and keep my mind centered.

What started as a form of self-preservation has opened up more doors for me than I could have imagined.

Once I started meditating I became interested in learning about meditation culture and started reading more and more on all sorts of related topics such as:

·        Mindfulness

·        Journaling

·        Yoga

·        Breathing exercises

·        Positive thinking techniques

and much more…

These things have given me the opportunity to become more in touch with my place in the universe.

I have become:

·        More grateful

·        Focused on the big picture rather than stuck on the little things

·        More accepting of myself as a whole

·        Able to embrace challenges with greater perspective

·        Detached from the value I had placed on material things in the past

·        Able to see silver linings in almost any situation

·        Able to own my participation and responsibility for all things in my life

·        Able to understood that any limitations that I feel in life are of my own creation

·        Eager to set goals for myself

·        Able to articulate my thoughts and feelings in a much clearer way

(via eatcleanmakechanges)

If you are interested in starting a meditation practice here is a very basic info graphic to get you started.

You may also want to include a mantra that you can repeat (either out loud or in your head) to help you clear your mind and tune out your surroundings.

A mantra can be a set of words or even just a grouping of sounds of your choosing.

Depending on my mood, I might do any of the following when I meditate:

·        Repeat my mantra

“Today I choose joy and accept the things that I cannot change”

·        Focus on my breathing

·        Make a gratitude list 
(List all the things that I am grateful for in my life or just that day particular)

I hope this may inspire you to try something new.

love & light

-Katie