Just a thought being thought might have influence on things. Then, how powerful could be the spoken word?
Which would be the effects of sentences like "Oh, I'm so stupid!" or "Silly me!" or "I'm so scruffy-looking today!" or "Nobody likes me!" or "Everybody but me..."
Maybe you can think of any other examples?
The examples just mentioned are representing violence. Violence in words.
Mostly we don't even notice when we incidentally hurt ourselves and thereby unconsciously exhaust ourselves.
We'd also feel hurt if somebody else talked to us like this, that's why we also hurt ourselves when we say these things to ourselves.
What's good about this?
Start:
Today you could observe your talking and thinking habits. Maybe you can think of an example of you being violent against yourself? To begin you've made a great effort just noticing this kind of violence...
If you'd like to breathe today, you might complete the January 1 minute, that's 12-15 breathings. Relax jawbones, half smile, conscious breathe : )
Thereby you could think of words that build you up, words like peaceful, calm, strong, beautiful, fresh, free or whatever you like.
*
The first month of the year has passed, great!
If you were able to take time for NOTHING you might be trained enough now to do that for 1 minute : )
If not, that's also OK. You know best about your needs, your rhythm and the tempo fitting best to you.
Most of us aspire happiness. But we can sight ourselves creating situations, acting the way we actually don't want to act. And we're unhappy about this.
Let's talk about anger today.
People who try not to be angry anymore focus on the state of (NOT) being angry (ANY)more...
And those who judge themselves create even more reasons for being unhappy.
Today I propose to confront anger with friendliness.
Start:
When you come across anger or annoyance today you might think: "Oh hello anger. I see you. It's quite alright that you're there."
Thereby 3 breathings and smile, smile at the anger and
smile at yourself : )
*
What happens to us when we stop dismissing the things we want to change? When we confront those things in a friendly and tranquil way?
How did you feel?
It's alright if you think this exercise is a little goofy. But maybe try it again next time. Constant dripping wears away the stone ; )
Our consciousness can be changed when we look at things as if we do something for the first time. The glance sharpens. Details that we didn't even notice anymore move back towards the foreground.
How might the consciousness change when looking at things as if it were the last time?
Start:
You could do something you like today, something that has become implicitness with time.
Things like eat or drink something, listen to music or make a phone call or talk to a person you like.
Pick something that you're most likely to do again tomorrow!
You might put a glance on this thing as if it were the last time you do it and you'd probably never experience it again.
You could spend 3 calm breathings during this activity, enjoying the last experience of the thing, every moment, sight, taste, smell, sound, feelings you feel...
Maybe you would like to do a couple of relaxed breathings first...? : )
*
Looking at an event or a person with the 'last' glance, which emotions do you feel? How does your view change?
Which feelings do you notice?
Are there any other emotions besides the delight of experiencing the moment?
Could you remember difficult feelings that arise from your imagination, in case there are any, and keep them?
For the next time... So that you can enjoy the precious moment... And enjoy the confidence that you may experience it again...
Where does your breathe actually go when you inhale it?
Breathing unconsciously can make the breathe shallow and fill your lungs only half-decent. If you breathe more tranquil the breathe can go deeper into your lungs.
But how deep can your breathe go? Down to your toes?
Is this a joke?
As a matter of fact, you can breathe as deep as to your toes. And that's even quite easy!
Start:
When you start breathing now you might like to close your eyes or focus behind the star.
You can imagine your breathe, you can really imagine it as a level and feel it in the inside.
First you breathe into your mouth, a nice deep and calm breathe that then goes down the trachea into your bronchial tubes and lungs.
Due to your concentration you can imagine easily your breathe going on into your stomach, down your legs, passing the knees, down into your feet and toes - as far as the tops of your toes.
When exhaling you can simply follow the breath up your legs into your stomach and lungs, feel how they empty until the last little bit of air is exhaled through your mouth.
If you can make it, you might try this 3 times.
*
How did you experience the breathing?
Could you follow the breathe into your lungs? Or maybe even farther?
How would it feel when imagining the freshness of air - making your entire body, even your toes, fresh? Fresh - Free!
Acclimatization and routine can appear when you do a certain thing very often, some things can even be done blindfolded.
To do something blindfolded... how many things we do are there left that we're still aware of?
It's interesting to look at routine things as if we do them for the first time.
Start:
Pick something you can do blindfolded.
Preferably something trivial like
get a cup - pour in coffee - add sugar - add milk - stir.
Or
go to the fridge - get the bottle - take the glass - pour in - put the bottle back - take the glass.
Can you think of any other routines?
Next time you do a routine activity you might stretch out with your senses; observe every single movement, notice every touch, smell, hear sounds, see things as if you've never seen them before, taste as if you experience this for the first time.
If you like you can relax now: how about 11 breathings today? Or 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...?
Relax jawbones, half smile, breathe : )
*
How many times a day do you find yourself not totally present in your current activity? How often are you on the outside of yourself, absent: dreams, memories, plans, feelings?
In which situations do you find yourself centered, fully concentrated?
How do you feel about the difference or is there any recognizable difference?
No matter what we do: the slower we do it, the more details can we notice.
That's advantages...
One advantage is for sure: You can focus on slow motions way better than on fast ones.
Start:
You could draw comparison today.
For example, put one your first shoe in the usual pace and routine.
Take your time for the second one - be aware of your breathe and be calm. It can be helpful to observe yourself, observe your own movements. Take conscious pictures of you putting on your second shoe.
Everybody's invited now to take ten breathings and just relax... : )
*
Did you feel any difference between the two shoes? And if so, could you describe the difference?
Yesterday's exercise could be called NOTHING but walking.
Here's some more suggestions for doing NOTHING, doing NOTHING but
-brush your teeth
-take on a pullover
-drink 3 sips of water
-take off a jacket
-walk 5 steps
-go up some stairs
-chew a bite and eat it
-take a cup out of the cupboard
What else can you imagine?
Start:
Today you could chose an activity and combine it with breathing.
It doesn't matter what activity you do. But it is important to concentrate on your body feeling and your breathing.
Doing something and being concentrated for three breathings, that's already a great deal!
Now, sitting in front of your computer, you could take another 10 breathings:
*
If you like to, start using this technique for different activities during your day. Therefore you create X possibilities for NOTHING the most easy way.
That's NOTHING but the concentrated NOW.
Yesterday we talked about empty time slots.
But today it gets even better - we will combine two different activities:
You can breathe consciously and do something else AT THE SAME TIME.
Start:
Let's take a simple example: Breathe and walk.
You might pay all your attention just to walking for the next walk you take. You can observe every single movement: The soles of your feet touch the ground, your feet roll over the floor, the legs rise and move forward... all those things.
Pretend that your body is totally new to you and get to know every capacity.
And by the way you can still breathe.
*
So that's how time slots expand and we get to have more time for active NOTHINGNESS. Practical, isn't it?
"I have so many things to do every day - I just have no time to do exercises like this, no matter how good they are..."
Do you think so?
Among other things, time management workshops deal with time taken ineffectively by the forelock. You'd be surprised how much time can be found through analysis.
Let's do that now:
How much time a day do you spend in elevators, at bus stops, in the lain of ticket machines?
How much time do you spend as a pedestrian or in your car with red traffic lights in front of you?
For how long do you sit at the dining table or on the sofa?
How much time a day do you spend sitting on the toilet?
For how long do you remain in bed after waking up and before getting up?
How long do you lie in bed sleepless before falling asleep?
Do you have to wait for other people from time to time?
How long do you sit at your desk waiting for your computer to load or to save?
Can you think of any other things like these?
0) How many of those moments are as long as three breathings?
1) How many of these moments last for about a minute?
1+) How often do time slots with a duration longer than 1 minute appear?
Start:
To calm ourselves, 3 conscious breathings with our mouth and face relaxed are enough.
3 breathings are already a great effort.
If you take 10 breathings today, you will have done NOTHING for 1 minute. Congratulations!
But every single breath is a great effort, so you'll be worthy of congratulations also with less than 10 breaths!
*
You decide how you spend your time.
It can take some time to get used to a new behavior.
Little signs or notes that remind you of what you want to do can be very helpful here. They remind you of what you might forget too easily. Especially in moments when you need it the most ; )
Today's idea is for all of you who think:
"Looking at my life objectively I find reasons why I must worry. I cannot just breathe a couple of times to make the worries vanish."
But how come you're so sure? Did you ever really try intensely?
Wouldn't it be quite clever to gather powers and strength, if those reasons to worry really exist? This way you could confront all your problems with tranquility, strength and magnitude.
You can take breathings everywhere, always. You don't have to sit in front of a computer, looking at a little star. Of course this helped us to focus in the beginning. But you can also focus without this little help.
Start:
The moment you become aware of a problem and produce the according emotion - this can be anxiety, disappointment, frustration, depression, desperation, sadness, nervousness or any other indisposition - you could just take a pause and do NOTHING but breathe in this moment.
If you'd like to breathe right now, you could take 9 breathings today.
*
If you like, take this idea with you and remember it when a difficult emotion appears. And maybe you'll be able to turn the mountain back into a molehill already. Or just turn the Mount Everest into a Mont Blanc for the beginning. Later, you'll learn to make hills and molehills out of Mount Everests! :)
What if our emotions that we experience during diverse thought excursions would be created just there: within our thoughts?
Could this maybe mean, that when we bring our mind back to our body we might thereby change our emotions?
At least for a short-term?
Start:
We might test that today.
Think of something that happened to you, something really awkward. Do you remember? Uh, so embarrassing that the ground should swallow you up.
And then, in the presence of this memory, focus on your breathe, relax your mouth, smile and sense every single of your body feelings :)
*
Were you able to re-enact the situation?
What did you feel throughout the excursion of your thoughts? Which body parts were most sensitive? What about your breath? Deep or shallow?
What has changed over your conscious breathing? Did you sense any body difference?
It can be very interesting to observe body and thoughts which sometimes remain light-years away from each other.
One way of putting it is that we don't seem to be quite all here. And we really are able to perceive it.
Start:
If you like, you could notice a moment when you are preoccupied and stay with your mind at another place or situation than your body does.
Just in that moment when you clearly notice it, you might start to breathe 3 times. Meanwhile you could observe the sensations of your body very detailed.
After that you might reflect how the coming back of your mind into your body felt for you. How present was your body for you in this state and in the other, respectively how present have you been in your body? Could you sense different body feelings?
While taking consciously breathings, your mental activity - that just has been at your work or in a situation that happened some years ago or maybe has been planing a coming event or that maybe has been together with a person who is not with you or that has been busy with sorrows, wherever your mental activity has been - you can really feel it coming back into yourself.
And suddenly we are back, fully awake.
*
Some emotions are difficult for us. That's why we tend to push them aside and there's several ways to do that. One is active distraction.
Setting up moments of tranquility we find out that there are also difficult emotions next to nice ones.
It can be of great help to know that the things we feel are just emotions, no more, no less. They vanish the same way as they come. Just like thoughts. And that's fine.
If we take an objective look on the situation that we are in right now, we see that there is no cause for emotions but the feeling of our breath and the feeling of our body sitting right at this very place.
We are sitting on this chair in front of this computer at this present time. We breathe in this present time. That's everything that exists right now.
Start:
Today you could take 6, 7 or even 8 calm breathings. With your face and mouth relaxed you could think "I am here" while inhaling. Or you could just count the number of your breathing. While exhaling you could think "I am free" or whatever comforts you.
If emotions pass you by you can become aware of them and concentrate on your breath and your body in this moment. The emotion can walk on by, just be friendly and let it pass.
*
You exist in this very moment.
All the other things are remembrances of the past or the picture of future things, even the future of the following few minutes.
We can breathe now, in this moment, free of all that lies in the past or in the future.
That's how we can become calm and gather energy. Energy for the future, for example.
Today we've got an idea for those of us who think:
"Why should I smile when I have a real reason for being troubled and annoyed?"
But why not? If there's a reason for infuriation, that's annoying already. Why letting this spoil our mood? That would be doubled trouble.
So what to do?
Start:
First of all, we recommend to take a deep breath and just smile :)
Do NOTHING for 1, 2 or 3 breathings.
Things will look different when the storm is over. Tranquility is the source of strength - for you and for all.
The usual reflex is to let our anger flow or to swallow it until we burst. But this isn't really helpful, neither for us nor for our environment.
We can use our energy in a constructive way instead of being annoyed and troubled. We just need to be calm.
So now's the time for a good slice of NOTHING.
What about 7 breathings today?
*
See you soon!
It's very good if you managed to keep a silent environment while your daily lessons in the past. However, distractions can be very disturbing, especially in the beginning. That's why outer silence is very helpful when getting to know the inner silence.
Naturally it's never really silent in our world. There's maybe a car or two driving past your house, somewhere a door is being slammed, birds chirp, rustling rain and cracking tempest, a child shouting, another answering, surprisingly a neighbor needs to use percussion drills - there's lots of unexpected noises we have to deal with when we actually sought silence.
What to do?
Start:
You can handle noises the same way you handle your thoughts if they appear during your breathing today. Noises come and go. Be aware of them when they appear, then focus with your concentration on yourself and on your breath again.
You could take 6 calm breaths now...
*
Did you hear any noise today? How did you feel about it? Did you take it with a friendly inner attitude?
Noise is not disturbing because of its existence or volume. It depends on our own attitude and on how much we focus on ourselves and on our breath.
Just let it pass you by. It is an indication of life and that's beautiful ; )
The unconsciousness in you believes everything you say or think. Then surprisingly, 'not', 'no' and 'none' do not exist.
So what happens when you think: "I am wearing a white shirt today. And when I eat those noodles with tomato sauce, I must NOT make any stains on my shirt." Or when you tell your child: "Do NOT break this!" or "Careful, do NOT fall over!"
According to this, what could happen when
you're stressed and tell your unconsciousness this: "I am very calm."
When you're feeling down you could tell yourself "I'm happy".
Or when you feel a little anger coming up: "I am peaceful."
Or when you have feelings of anxiety you could think: "I am free of anxiety."
Maybe you can think of something for yourself, something that suits you better?
Start:
Attempts make clever, so let's try it today if you like. Half-smile, in- and exhale five times quietly, then think of the sentence or the key word while exhaling, for example 'happy' or 'peaceful':
*
Possibly you can't see any instant effects but that's alright. It can also do its work in a preventative way.
If you like, you could think of the key word of your choice from time to time, whenever you like. Just thinking of it will do...
Today we just breathe 5 times.
We are able to count our breaths, so one single little star will be enough to give our best attention to.
You might see 'behind' the star, similar to the -Magic eye- 3D autostereograms, when you diverge your eyes. As may best please you.
Start:
Relax your face, your mouth, jaw, tongue. Then you will get a natural beautiful Half-Smile.
Breathe in and out deeply, like an introduction, if you wish. And start to breathe, one - one, two - two...
*
Day 15 and you have breathed 5 times.
That's your best gain today! Although it is in truth NOTHING... : )
Smiling helps to relax. For a smile it's helpful to relax.
What's that supposed to mean??
Today you might observe your smiling while you breathe.
Start:
Before you start for today you could pay attention to your mouth. Are your jaw and tongue tensed? You could now relieve tension. If you like relax your face with a smile and start breathing in and out, 4 times if it pleases you.
*
*
*
*
Was your jaw relaxed or did you find your teeth grit? What about your tongue?
During your day you could every once in a while pay a little attention to your mouth and if necessary start to relieve tension again. It might help to relax your mood at large.
Breathing four times, without a thought that slips in...did it work out yesterday?
If yes, super!
If no, also super, because then you could get to observe how your busy brain is working, right?
When I started I couldn't breathe more then 2 times without starting to think. And still today they come every once in a while, the thoughts. That's absolutely normal.
By and by I learned to notice my thinking earlier and earlier and then it's very easy to stop it in that moment. Ah, a thought, and then I start over again, one - one, two - two ...
Start:
If you are attentive while breathing the next 4 breaths,
notice your thoughts as soon as they appear,
listen to your inner dialog or causeries,
spot your thoughts starting to tell you this or that,
or sense the moment when you start to follow your dreams.
Just continue. That happens to everyone, especially in the beginning, that's perfectly normal. The skill is simply to let go the thought : )
one - one
*
two - two
*
three - three
*
four - four
*
Well, how was it? Have you noticed thoughts? If yes, that's good, because this is the only way to stop them : ) And, have you perhaps found something, between the thoughts?
Or could it have been possibly nothingness??
Today we could turn it up a notch and try to draw 4 breaths with emptiness.
Start:
It's the same as always: Smile, breathe in, breathe out, feel the body.
Take your favorite/s of yesterday's proposals. As an example we take
in - out
*
in - out
That's a good many breaths!
How did it work for you? Could you taste emptiness of thoughts? Or have some thoughts crept in?
If thoughts came, it's OK. Then it's very helpful to recognize them and put them aside very friendly (Aha, there is a thought, now i let it go)
Come back to your chosen word, like in - out.
The inner comments (i.e. in - out) can help us to fill the space that would otherwise be filled by thoughts which are not squeamish to push in and talk about this or that.
To count from 1 to 10 and start over again is to be suited brilliant to minimize the space for other thoughts.
There are a lot of different feelings. Pleasant and unpleasant ones. Let's attend a little to unpleasant feelings. For instance anger. Sometimes there is anger raising in ourself at the slightest provocation. Some other time not even good reasons can agitate us.
How is that possible?
The cause seems not to be the objectively tangible reason for our anger but our mood.
If that's the case, our mood ought to allow the unpleasant feeling to spread out. Or not!
Start:
If there's a situation creating irritation in us it's often hard to remember the best reaction that would help us to get calm again.
But we'll always continue breathing.
Here you find some proposals for how to let the breath clear the situation.
The first word can be thought while breathing in, the second while breathing out, in addition bring your attention to the physical feelings of breathing, away from the unpleasant feeling. The effect will go it alone, without the slightest effort.
Easiest version: breathing in - breathing out
in - out
One - One
Two - Two
Three - Three
Four - Four
Five - Five
Six - Six
Seven - Seven
Eight - Eight
Nine - Nine
Ten - Ten
One - One
and so forth
Alternatives:
calm - strong
stable - free
"in - calm
out - happy"
"in - calm
out - free"
Alternatives with images:
mountain - strong
flower - beautiful
dew - fresh
earth - stable
If you like, you might choose one of these to have it down pat for a suitable case. Or create your own as you think best. Main thing is that it makes you stronger and brings you calmness and serenity. If you like you can test it now:
"___" - "___"
*
*
*
All best until tomorrow : )
Today we like to pay special attention to our processes of thinking.
Our brain is working for us. That's good, in most instances.
Thinking can be very helpful - except you want to practice doing NOTHING. Even then it happens. Fortunately we can easily learn how to deal with this effect.
First of all we would start to observe our thinking while we breathe.
Start:
While breathing you might find a thought coming up. That's very normal. Just recognize it when it happens, and let go the thought without appraisal or following it's story. And then, after this thought has gone, just before the next thought might come, you might be able to discover a great phenomenon:
A moment of NOTHING!
This is what we're able to do: NOTHING between two thoughts. The more we'd train, the longer this special space of NOTHING can be.
*
*
*
Once you recognize only ONE short moment of NOTHING you've crossed the Rubicon! This is the special goal that we are going for : )
Today we'd like to focus on the rhythm of breath. You might have noticed some of the effects that we have talked about on day 1.
If you keep an eye now on your natural rhythm of breath you might find a moment in between two breaths, a short moment when even your breath comes to rest.
Start:
If you like, take now 3 calm and natural breaths. Observe in particular the tiny little rest - after your body already has taken the air before starting to exhale it.
If you might feel too tight just heave a sigh and after that let flow your breath smoothly and naturally. It's all a matter of habituation : )
in - out
*
*
*
That's it for now.
How did it feel? Could you let flow your breath naturally? Could you notice a rest inbetween?
And an extra: could you remember smiling? Does it feel different with a smile in your face?
Maybe you are lucky today and will find yourself faced with difficult feelings like anger, rage, fear, helplessness or whatever you feel uncomfortable with.
Because then you could first go to try out 'Doing nothing than smile and breathe'!
Start:
As soon as you find yourself in a suitable situation amuse yourself and remember that everything that happens will be a story tomorrow: Smile, breathe in, breathe out, calm and free.
If nothing of the sort happens and you have to wait a little longer for the realization of this Non-exercise...so much the better. And if there might appear an occasion in this vein, it's good anyway to be prepared ; )
*
calm - free
*
calm - stable*
calm - strong
Then, breathing in you can feel that you are calm, breathing out you can feel that you are free, stable and strong.
How was your day yesterday?
Could your find out one uneasy situation when to let drop in a smile would have been a nice idea?
Start:
Please remember now yesterday's special situation.
And in the same moment when you get it back to your memory: smile : ) and breathe, a deep, calm and happy breath in and out, together with our little star:
*
and again
calm - happy
*calm - happy *How do you feel here and now with yesterday's story?
The very next day everything that had happened will always be just a story...nothing more : )
Day 6 and we've got a lot of NOTHING.
And you can do it ANYTIME you want. Today we could just become aware about good situations to do it, if you like. Please don't practice it already, it might be too early, maybe you're not prepared to stand it yet.
Start:
So, just check if you'd like it after waking up in the morning, breathe and smile, or while observing the rain outside, breathe and smile, after missing the bus, breathe and smile, during an argument with a friend, your mother, your boss, breathe and smile (be careful not to make them insecure, some people might not stand smiling), between crying your eyes out after breaking up with your girl or boyfriend, breathe and smile, after a computer crash before having saved your changes, breathe and smile, and before falling asleep, breathe and smile.
There might be other opportunities if you rummage a little during your day.
For those of you who would be bored with it, and also for all others of you, these twinkling little stars (smile, breathe in deep and calm, breathe out, feel the emptiness):
*
*
*
Have a nice day until tomorrow if you like.
When generations of cars take the same drive you'll notice lane grooves on the road. With a little attention it's easy to leave them, but, oops, within a second of inattentiveness you might be back, following the trail that others prepared for you.If you like to create a path of your own, you need attention to the new. Only a little, every now and then. It will soon become your habit, easily: because you did it by yourself!
Start:
Imagine your face. Would you find lane grooves? Which do you like most?
: [ : { : € : (
or
: )
Now you are free to make a decision, the day 5 decision:
+ If you like what you see it's easy. Just do nothing, everything can stay as it is.
+ If you suddenly see another path that you want to prepare for yourself it's more than easy. All you need is a little attention.
Therefor you might like to print out this sticker or make one on your own and put it wherever you often throw a glance at. That might be your monitor, refrigerator, TV, bathroom mirror, key board, desktop, window, entrance door, ah, wherever...you'll know about the perfect place easily.
Whatever you like to decide, it's yours : )
(For all who like to do nothing now: smile, oh how sweet, and now take a deep slow breath, or two...)
Now it's day 4 and what we've already got is breath and a smile.
Today we do NOTHING more than breathe twice. Before proposing this we have tested it and found: it's possible!
But if you feel uncertain forget about the second breath. If you take again ONE breath and you find this special emptiness it's gorgeous enough!!
Start:
Breathe in and out, two times, slowly and deep, with a smile in your face. Feel all your physical sensations while these stars smile back to you:
*
*
That's it. Enough, isn't it?
How do you feel? Was it the same like yesterday or did you find something new? Could you feel some or some more emptiness?
Ah, whatever. This was NOTHING! To be continued tomorrow if you like.
If someone is happy he or she can smile. Well.
That should be the whole thruth?
No, we watch it from the far side: your face has got a lot of nerves, around 40something. If you present them a smile, then they'll transport the following signal to your brain: Hey, he or she downstairs is smiling, so, she or he is happy, come on, pour out hormones for happiness!! Happiness hormones make...right, they make happier. Even if you are in a really bad mood.
Start:
Put a smile into your face, don't mind if it's totally artificial! Now take a deep slow breath while you once more watch this little star:
*
OK. Enough of smiling. How did you feel?
Now you can come back to your grimly mien, if you feel more comfortable with it. Or do the exercise once more in front of the mirror, anytime, when you just pass the bathroom. But you shouldn't overdo it of course.
Emptiness must be the consequence of doing NOTHING. And really, if you fill your glas with nothing you'll find it full with emptiness, won't you?
Start:
Let's take ONE deep breath as we took it yesterday: let flow the air through your nose or mouth into your pulmary and out of it afterwords, slowly. In the meantime observe carefully EVERY single sensation of your physical body.
This star will support you:
*
Finished? Good!
Now, please try to remember if there was a thought that had nothing to do with your physical sensations.
1) There was a thought? Or two? Congratulations, your brain still holds something, and this is the opposite of nothing. Your parents, teachers, doctors, politicians or whoever might be proud of you. Because you don't let go so easily. Your brain is full, but not empty. You might enjoy to continue by thinking about that.
0) There was NO other thought than just physical sensations? Congratulations, than you are already able to discover the first inkling of emptiness. No need to find a reason for it.
For today this should be enough of NOTHING.
If you like you might continue tomorrow.
Today we discover breathing. It's not easy to do it with consciousness. So we just try it only ONE time.
While you inhale and exhale the air in your natural rhythm pay attention to the feelings that appear meanwhile: you may feel the air floating in and out of your pulmonary, feel how your belly gets bigger and smaller, check the feeling of the air blowing under your nose, even in your nose. Do only observe the physical effects.
Start:
Take one breath, only one, slow and deep while you watch this little star:
*
Ready? Well done! That's it for today.
It's the first day of the year and we want to keep this success, so don't try it once more.
Tomorrow is a new day. Early enough to train more of NOTHING, right?
How to do NOTHING:
Every day we get a new idea for doing NOTHING. Fortunately we can offer you the english translations for the 200 chapters! It's of avail to start with chapter 1.
Because it's one of the most difficult things, we might need some time to adapt. That's why we start with 1 minute during the first phase, January.
After getting inured, you may feel ready for some longer time. So February we'll try it with 2 minutes, in March you might feel able to spend 3 Minutes in doing NOTHING.
And please, don't enjoy what you do ; ) Doing NOTHING is something they always told us not to do, it cannot be a joy! Can it?
If you don't like to be patient, it's also OK. We know that millions of people are not able to do NOTHING, so don't be sad if you find yourself being like them. It's OK. Everything is OK.
Ready?
Please stop smoking, stop talking and thinking to yourself, switch off music, TV, your child, neighbor, telephone or whatever is doing SOMETHING around you.
It might be helpful to sit straight in front of your computer. Straight, but not uncomfortable, as you like it.
Now you might start reading and if you like even do an exercise.
.
We wish you all best,
Christiane Schinkel
P.S.
For a look into the complete german version
http://ich-tue-nichts-fuer-glueck-anmeldung.blogspot.com/
get the translation with
http://translate.google.com/
Just a thought being thought might have influence on things. Then, how powerful could be the spoken word?
Which would be the effects of sentences like "Oh, I'm so stupid!" or "Silly me!" or "I'm so scruffy-looking today!" or "Nobody likes me!" or "Everybody but me..."
Maybe you can think of any other examples?
The examples just mentioned are representing violence. Violence in words.
Mostly we don't even notice when we incidentally hurt ourselves and thereby unconsciously exhaust ourselves.
We'd also feel hurt if somebody else talked to us like this, that's why we also hurt ourselves when we say these things to ourselves.
What's good about this?
Start:
Today you could observe your talking and thinking habits. Maybe you can think of an example of you being violent against yourself? To begin you've made a great effort just noticing this kind of violence...
If you'd like to breathe today, you might complete the January 1 minute, that's 12-15 breathings. Relax jawbones, half smile, conscious breathe : )
Thereby you could think of words that build you up, words like peaceful, calm, strong, beautiful, fresh, free or whatever you like.
*
The first month of the year has passed, great!
If you were able to take time for NOTHING you might be trained enough now to do that for 1 minute : )
If not, that's also OK. You know best about your needs, your rhythm and the tempo fitting best to you.
Most of us aspire happiness. But we can sight ourselves creating situations, acting the way we actually don't want to act. And we're unhappy about this.
Let's talk about anger today.
People who try not to be angry anymore focus on the state of (NOT) being angry (ANY)more...
And those who judge themselves create even more reasons for being unhappy.
Today I propose to confront anger with friendliness.
Start:
When you come across anger or annoyance today you might think: "Oh hello anger. I see you. It's quite alright that you're there."
Thereby 3 breathings and smile, smile at the anger and
smile at yourself : )
*
What happens to us when we stop dismissing the things we want to change? When we confront those things in a friendly and tranquil way?
How did you feel?
It's alright if you think this exercise is a little goofy. But maybe try it again next time. Constant dripping wears away the stone ; )
Our consciousness can be changed when we look at things as if we do something for the first time. The glance sharpens. Details that we didn't even notice anymore move back towards the foreground.
How might the consciousness change when looking at things as if it were the last time?
Start:
You could do something you like today, something that has become implicitness with time.
Things like eat or drink something, listen to music or make a phone call or talk to a person you like.
Pick something that you're most likely to do again tomorrow!
You might put a glance on this thing as if it were the last time you do it and you'd probably never experience it again.
You could spend 3 calm breathings during this activity, enjoying the last experience of the thing, every moment, sight, taste, smell, sound, feelings you feel...
Maybe you would like to do a couple of relaxed breathings first...? : )
*
Looking at an event or a person with the 'last' glance, which emotions do you feel? How does your view change?
Which feelings do you notice?
Are there any other emotions besides the delight of experiencing the moment?
Could you remember difficult feelings that arise from your imagination, in case there are any, and keep them?
For the next time... So that you can enjoy the precious moment... And enjoy the confidence that you may experience it again...
Where does your breathe actually go when you inhale it?
Breathing unconsciously can make the breathe shallow and fill your lungs only half-decent. If you breathe more tranquil the breathe can go deeper into your lungs.
But how deep can your breathe go? Down to your toes?
Is this a joke?
As a matter of fact, you can breathe as deep as to your toes. And that's even quite easy!
Start:
When you start breathing now you might like to close your eyes or focus behind the star.
You can imagine your breathe, you can really imagine it as a level and feel it in the inside.
First you breathe into your mouth, a nice deep and calm breathe that then goes down the trachea into your bronchial tubes and lungs.
Due to your concentration you can imagine easily your breathe going on into your stomach, down your legs, passing the knees, down into your feet and toes - as far as the tops of your toes.
When exhaling you can simply follow the breath up your legs into your stomach and lungs, feel how they empty until the last little bit of air is exhaled through your mouth.
If you can make it, you might try this 3 times.
*
How did you experience the breathing?
Could you follow the breathe into your lungs? Or maybe even farther?
How would it feel when imagining the freshness of air - making your entire body, even your toes, fresh? Fresh - Free!
Acclimatization and routine can appear when you do a certain thing very often, some things can even be done blindfolded.
To do something blindfolded... how many things we do are there left that we're still aware of?
It's interesting to look at routine things as if we do them for the first time.
Start:
Pick something you can do blindfolded.
Preferably something trivial like
get a cup - pour in coffee - add sugar - add milk - stir.
Or
go to the fridge - get the bottle - take the glass - pour in - put the bottle back - take the glass.
Can you think of any other routines?
Next time you do a routine activity you might stretch out with your senses; observe every single movement, notice every touch, smell, hear sounds, see things as if you've never seen them before, taste as if you experience this for the first time.
If you like you can relax now: how about 11 breathings today? Or 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5...?
Relax jawbones, half smile, breathe : )
*
How many times a day do you find yourself not totally present in your current activity? How often are you on the outside of yourself, absent: dreams, memories, plans, feelings?
In which situations do you find yourself centered, fully concentrated?
How do you feel about the difference or is there any recognizable difference?
No matter what we do: the slower we do it, the more details can we notice.
That's advantages...
One advantage is for sure: You can focus on slow motions way better than on fast ones.
Start:
You could draw comparison today.
For example, put one your first shoe in the usual pace and routine.
Take your time for the second one - be aware of your breathe and be calm. It can be helpful to observe yourself, observe your own movements. Take conscious pictures of you putting on your second shoe.
Everybody's invited now to take ten breathings and just relax... : )
*
Did you feel any difference between the two shoes? And if so, could you describe the difference?
Yesterday's exercise could be called NOTHING but walking.
Here's some more suggestions for doing NOTHING, doing NOTHING but
-brush your teeth
-take on a pullover
-drink 3 sips of water
-take off a jacket
-walk 5 steps
-go up some stairs
-chew a bite and eat it
-take a cup out of the cupboard
What else can you imagine?
Start:
Today you could chose an activity and combine it with breathing.
It doesn't matter what activity you do. But it is important to concentrate on your body feeling and your breathing.
Doing something and being concentrated for three breathings, that's already a great deal!
Now, sitting in front of your computer, you could take another 10 breathings:
*
If you like to, start using this technique for different activities during your day. Therefore you create X possibilities for NOTHING the most easy way.
That's NOTHING but the concentrated NOW.
Yesterday we talked about empty time slots.
But today it gets even better - we will combine two different activities:
You can breathe consciously and do something else AT THE SAME TIME.
Start:
Let's take a simple example: Breathe and walk.
You might pay all your attention just to walking for the next walk you take. You can observe every single movement: The soles of your feet touch the ground, your feet roll over the floor, the legs rise and move forward... all those things.
Pretend that your body is totally new to you and get to know every capacity.
And by the way you can still breathe.
*
So that's how time slots expand and we get to have more time for active NOTHINGNESS. Practical, isn't it?
"I have so many things to do every day - I just have no time to do exercises like this, no matter how good they are..."
Do you think so?
Among other things, time management workshops deal with time taken ineffectively by the forelock. You'd be surprised how much time can be found through analysis.
Let's do that now:
How much time a day do you spend in elevators, at bus stops, in the lain of ticket machines?
How much time do you spend as a pedestrian or in your car with red traffic lights in front of you?
For how long do you sit at the dining table or on the sofa?
How much time a day do you spend sitting on the toilet?
For how long do you remain in bed after waking up and before getting up?
How long do you lie in bed sleepless before falling asleep?
Do you have to wait for other people from time to time?
How long do you sit at your desk waiting for your computer to load or to save?
Can you think of any other things like these?
0) How many of those moments are as long as three breathings?
1) How many of these moments last for about a minute?
1+) How often do time slots with a duration longer than 1 minute appear?
Start:
To calm ourselves, 3 conscious breathings with our mouth and face relaxed are enough.
3 breathings are already a great effort.
If you take 10 breathings today, you will have done NOTHING for 1 minute. Congratulations!
But every single breath is a great effort, so you'll be worthy of congratulations also with less than 10 breaths!
*
You decide how you spend your time.
It can take some time to get used to a new behavior.
Little signs or notes that remind you of what you want to do can be very helpful here. They remind you of what you might forget too easily. Especially in moments when you need it the most ; )
Today's idea is for all of you who think:
"Looking at my life objectively I find reasons why I must worry. I cannot just breathe a couple of times to make the worries vanish."
But how come you're so sure? Did you ever really try intensely?
Wouldn't it be quite clever to gather powers and strength, if those reasons to worry really exist? This way you could confront all your problems with tranquility, strength and magnitude.
You can take breathings everywhere, always. You don't have to sit in front of a computer, looking at a little star. Of course this helped us to focus in the beginning. But you can also focus without this little help.
Start:
The moment you become aware of a problem and produce the according emotion - this can be anxiety, disappointment, frustration, depression, desperation, sadness, nervousness or any other indisposition - you could just take a pause and do NOTHING but breathe in this moment.
If you'd like to breathe right now, you could take 9 breathings today.
*
If you like, take this idea with you and remember it when a difficult emotion appears. And maybe you'll be able to turn the mountain back into a molehill already. Or just turn the Mount Everest into a Mont Blanc for the beginning. Later, you'll learn to make hills and molehills out of Mount Everests! :)
What if our emotions that we experience during diverse thought excursions would be created just there: within our thoughts?
Could this maybe mean, that when we bring our mind back to our body we might thereby change our emotions?
At least for a short-term?
Start:
We might test that today.
Think of something that happened to you, something really awkward. Do you remember? Uh, so embarrassing that the ground should swallow you up.
And then, in the presence of this memory, focus on your breathe, relax your mouth, smile and sense every single of your body feelings :)
*
Were you able to re-enact the situation?
What did you feel throughout the excursion of your thoughts? Which body parts were most sensitive? What about your breath? Deep or shallow?
What has changed over your conscious breathing? Did you sense any body difference?
It can be very interesting to observe body and thoughts which sometimes remain light-years away from each other.
One way of putting it is that we don't seem to be quite all here. And we really are able to perceive it.
Start:
If you like, you could notice a moment when you are preoccupied and stay with your mind at another place or situation than your body does.
Just in that moment when you clearly notice it, you might start to breathe 3 times. Meanwhile you could observe the sensations of your body very detailed.
After that you might reflect how the coming back of your mind into your body felt for you. How present was your body for you in this state and in the other, respectively how present have you been in your body? Could you sense different body feelings?
While taking consciously breathings, your mental activity - that just has been at your work or in a situation that happened some years ago or maybe has been planing a coming event or that maybe has been together with a person who is not with you or that has been busy with sorrows, wherever your mental activity has been - you can really feel it coming back into yourself.
And suddenly we are back, fully awake.
*
Some emotions are difficult for us. That's why we tend to push them aside and there's several ways to do that. One is active distraction.
Setting up moments of tranquility we find out that there are also difficult emotions next to nice ones.
It can be of great help to know that the things we feel are just emotions, no more, no less. They vanish the same way as they come. Just like thoughts. And that's fine.
If we take an objective look on the situation that we are in right now, we see that there is no cause for emotions but the feeling of our breath and the feeling of our body sitting right at this very place.
We are sitting on this chair in front of this computer at this present time. We breathe in this present time. That's everything that exists right now.
Start:
Today you could take 6, 7 or even 8 calm breathings. With your face and mouth relaxed you could think "I am here" while inhaling. Or you could just count the number of your breathing. While exhaling you could think "I am free" or whatever comforts you.
If emotions pass you by you can become aware of them and concentrate on your breath and your body in this moment. The emotion can walk on by, just be friendly and let it pass.
*
You exist in this very moment.
All the other things are remembrances of the past or the picture of future things, even the future of the following few minutes.
We can breathe now, in this moment, free of all that lies in the past or in the future.
That's how we can become calm and gather energy. Energy for the future, for example.
Today we've got an idea for those of us who think:
"Why should I smile when I have a real reason for being troubled and annoyed?"
But why not? If there's a reason for infuriation, that's annoying already. Why letting this spoil our mood? That would be doubled trouble.
So what to do?
Start:
First of all, we recommend to take a deep breath and just smile :)
Do NOTHING for 1, 2 or 3 breathings.
Things will look different when the storm is over. Tranquility is the source of strength - for you and for all.
The usual reflex is to let our anger flow or to swallow it until we burst. But this isn't really helpful, neither for us nor for our environment.
We can use our energy in a constructive way instead of being annoyed and troubled. We just need to be calm.
So now's the time for a good slice of NOTHING.
What about 7 breathings today?
*
See you soon!
It's very good if you managed to keep a silent environment while your daily lessons in the past. However, distractions can be very disturbing, especially in the beginning. That's why outer silence is very helpful when getting to know the inner silence.
Naturally it's never really silent in our world. There's maybe a car or two driving past your house, somewhere a door is being slammed, birds chirp, rustling rain and cracking tempest, a child shouting, another answering, surprisingly a neighbor needs to use percussion drills - there's lots of unexpected noises we have to deal with when we actually sought silence.
What to do?
Start:
You can handle noises the same way you handle your thoughts if they appear during your breathing today. Noises come and go. Be aware of them when they appear, then focus with your concentration on yourself and on your breath again.
You could take 6 calm breaths now...
*
Did you hear any noise today? How did you feel about it? Did you take it with a friendly inner attitude?
Noise is not disturbing because of its existence or volume. It depends on our own attitude and on how much we focus on ourselves and on our breath.
Just let it pass you by. It is an indication of life and that's beautiful ; )
The unconsciousness in you believes everything you say or think. Then surprisingly, 'not', 'no' and 'none' do not exist.
So what happens when you think: "I am wearing a white shirt today. And when I eat those noodles with tomato sauce, I must NOT make any stains on my shirt." Or when you tell your child: "Do NOT break this!" or "Careful, do NOT fall over!"
According to this, what could happen when
you're stressed and tell your unconsciousness this: "I am very calm."
When you're feeling down you could tell yourself "I'm happy".
Or when you feel a little anger coming up: "I am peaceful."
Or when you have feelings of anxiety you could think: "I am free of anxiety."
Maybe you can think of something for yourself, something that suits you better?
Start:
Attempts make clever, so let's try it today if you like. Half-smile, in- and exhale five times quietly, then think of the sentence or the key word while exhaling, for example 'happy' or 'peaceful':
*
Possibly you can't see any instant effects but that's alright. It can also do its work in a preventative way.
If you like, you could think of the key word of your choice from time to time, whenever you like. Just thinking of it will do...
Today we just breathe 5 times.
We are able to count our breaths, so one single little star will be enough to give our best attention to.
You might see 'behind' the star, similar to the -Magic eye- 3D autostereograms, when you diverge your eyes. As may best please you.
Start:
Relax your face, your mouth, jaw, tongue. Then you will get a natural beautiful Half-Smile.
Breathe in and out deeply, like an introduction, if you wish. And start to breathe, one - one, two - two...
*
Day 15 and you have breathed 5 times.
That's your best gain today! Although it is in truth NOTHING... : )
Smiling helps to relax. For a smile it's helpful to relax.
What's that supposed to mean??
Today you might observe your smiling while you breathe.
Start:
Before you start for today you could pay attention to your mouth. Are your jaw and tongue tensed? You could now relieve tension. If you like relax your face with a smile and start breathing in and out, 4 times if it pleases you.
*
*
*
*
Was your jaw relaxed or did you find your teeth grit? What about your tongue?
During your day you could every once in a while pay a little attention to your mouth and if necessary start to relieve tension again. It might help to relax your mood at large.
Breathing four times, without a thought that slips in...did it work out yesterday?
If yes, super!
If no, also super, because then you could get to observe how your busy brain is working, right?
When I started I couldn't breathe more then 2 times without starting to think. And still today they come every once in a while, the thoughts. That's absolutely normal.
By and by I learned to notice my thinking earlier and earlier and then it's very easy to stop it in that moment. Ah, a thought, and then I start over again, one - one, two - two ...
Start:
If you are attentive while breathing the next 4 breaths,
notice your thoughts as soon as they appear,
listen to your inner dialog or causeries,
spot your thoughts starting to tell you this or that,
or sense the moment when you start to follow your dreams.
Just continue. That happens to everyone, especially in the beginning, that's perfectly normal. The skill is simply to let go the thought : )
one - one
*
two - two
*
three - three
*
four - four
*
Well, how was it? Have you noticed thoughts? If yes, that's good, because this is the only way to stop them : ) And, have you perhaps found something, between the thoughts?
Or could it have been possibly nothingness??
Today we could turn it up a notch and try to draw 4 breaths with emptiness.
Start:
It's the same as always: Smile, breathe in, breathe out, feel the body.
Take your favorite/s of yesterday's proposals. As an example we take
in - out
*
in - out
That's a good many breaths!
How did it work for you? Could you taste emptiness of thoughts? Or have some thoughts crept in?
If thoughts came, it's OK. Then it's very helpful to recognize them and put them aside very friendly (Aha, there is a thought, now i let it go)
Come back to your chosen word, like in - out.
The inner comments (i.e. in - out) can help us to fill the space that would otherwise be filled by thoughts which are not squeamish to push in and talk about this or that.
To count from 1 to 10 and start over again is to be suited brilliant to minimize the space for other thoughts.
There are a lot of different feelings. Pleasant and unpleasant ones. Let's attend a little to unpleasant feelings. For instance anger. Sometimes there is anger raising in ourself at the slightest provocation. Some other time not even good reasons can agitate us.
How is that possible?
The cause seems not to be the objectively tangible reason for our anger but our mood.
If that's the case, our mood ought to allow the unpleasant feeling to spread out. Or not!
Start:
If there's a situation creating irritation in us it's often hard to remember the best reaction that would help us to get calm again.
But we'll always continue breathing.
Here you find some proposals for how to let the breath clear the situation.
The first word can be thought while breathing in, the second while breathing out, in addition bring your attention to the physical feelings of breathing, away from the unpleasant feeling. The effect will go it alone, without the slightest effort.
Easiest version: breathing in - breathing out
in - out
One - One
Two - Two
Three - Three
Four - Four
Five - Five
Six - Six
Seven - Seven
Eight - Eight
Nine - Nine
Ten - Ten
One - One
and so forth
Alternatives:
calm - strong
stable - free
"in - calm
out - happy"
"in - calm
out - free"
Alternatives with images:
mountain - strong
flower - beautiful
dew - fresh
earth - stable
If you like, you might choose one of these to have it down pat for a suitable case. Or create your own as you think best. Main thing is that it makes you stronger and brings you calmness and serenity. If you like you can test it now:
"___" - "___"
*
*
*
All best until tomorrow : )
Today we like to pay special attention to our processes of thinking.
Our brain is working for us. That's good, in most instances.
Thinking can be very helpful - except you want to practice doing NOTHING. Even then it happens. Fortunately we can easily learn how to deal with this effect.
First of all we would start to observe our thinking while we breathe.
Start:
While breathing you might find a thought coming up. That's very normal. Just recognize it when it happens, and let go the thought without appraisal or following it's story. And then, after this thought has gone, just before the next thought might come, you might be able to discover a great phenomenon:
A moment of NOTHING!
This is what we're able to do: NOTHING between two thoughts. The more we'd train, the longer this special space of NOTHING can be.
*
*
*
Once you recognize only ONE short moment of NOTHING you've crossed the Rubicon! This is the special goal that we are going for : )
Today we'd like to focus on the rhythm of breath. You might have noticed some of the effects that we have talked about on day 1.
If you keep an eye now on your natural rhythm of breath you might find a moment in between two breaths, a short moment when even your breath comes to rest.
Start:
If you like, take now 3 calm and natural breaths. Observe in particular the tiny little rest - after your body already has taken the air before starting to exhale it.
If you might feel too tight just heave a sigh and after that let flow your breath smoothly and naturally. It's all a matter of habituation : )
in - out
*
*
*
That's it for now.
How did it feel? Could you let flow your breath naturally? Could you notice a rest inbetween?
And an extra: could you remember smiling? Does it feel different with a smile in your face?
Maybe you are lucky today and will find yourself faced with difficult feelings like anger, rage, fear, helplessness or whatever you feel uncomfortable with.
Because then you could first go to try out 'Doing nothing than smile and breathe'!
Start:
As soon as you find yourself in a suitable situation amuse yourself and remember that everything that happens will be a story tomorrow: Smile, breathe in, breathe out, calm and free.
If nothing of the sort happens and you have to wait a little longer for the realization of this Non-exercise...so much the better. And if there might appear an occasion in this vein, it's good anyway to be prepared ; )
*
calm - free
*
calm - stable*
calm - strong
Then, breathing in you can feel that you are calm, breathing out you can feel that you are free, stable and strong.
How was your day yesterday?
Could your find out one uneasy situation when to let drop in a smile would have been a nice idea?
Start:
Please remember now yesterday's special situation.
And in the same moment when you get it back to your memory: smile : ) and breathe, a deep, calm and happy breath in and out, together with our little star:
*
and again
calm - happy
*calm - happy *How do you feel here and now with yesterday's story?
The very next day everything that had happened will always be just a story...nothing more : )
Day 6 and we've got a lot of NOTHING.
And you can do it ANYTIME you want. Today we could just become aware about good situations to do it, if you like. Please don't practice it already, it might be too early, maybe you're not prepared to stand it yet.
Start:
So, just check if you'd like it after waking up in the morning, breathe and smile, or while observing the rain outside, breathe and smile, after missing the bus, breathe and smile, during an argument with a friend, your mother, your boss, breathe and smile (be careful not to make them insecure, some people might not stand smiling), between crying your eyes out after breaking up with your girl or boyfriend, breathe and smile, after a computer crash before having saved your changes, breathe and smile, and before falling asleep, breathe and smile.
There might be other opportunities if you rummage a little during your day.
For those of you who would be bored with it, and also for all others of you, these twinkling little stars (smile, breathe in deep and calm, breathe out, feel the emptiness):
*
*
*
Have a nice day until tomorrow if you like.
When generations of cars take the same drive you'll notice lane grooves on the road. With a little attention it's easy to leave them, but, oops, within a second of inattentiveness you might be back, following the trail that others prepared for you.If you like to create a path of your own, you need attention to the new. Only a little, every now and then. It will soon become your habit, easily: because you did it by yourself!
Start:
Imagine your face. Would you find lane grooves? Which do you like most?
: [ : { : € : (
or
: )
Now you are free to make a decision, the day 5 decision:
+ If you like what you see it's easy. Just do nothing, everything can stay as it is.
+ If you suddenly see another path that you want to prepare for yourself it's more than easy. All you need is a little attention.
Therefor you might like to print out this sticker or make one on your own and put it wherever you often throw a glance at. That might be your monitor, refrigerator, TV, bathroom mirror, key board, desktop, window, entrance door, ah, wherever...you'll know about the perfect place easily.
Whatever you like to decide, it's yours : )
(For all who like to do nothing now: smile, oh how sweet, and now take a deep slow breath, or two...)
Now it's day 4 and what we've already got is breath and a smile.
Today we do NOTHING more than breathe twice. Before proposing this we have tested it and found: it's possible!
But if you feel uncertain forget about the second breath. If you take again ONE breath and you find this special emptiness it's gorgeous enough!!
Start:
Breathe in and out, two times, slowly and deep, with a smile in your face. Feel all your physical sensations while these stars smile back to you:
*
*
That's it. Enough, isn't it?
How do you feel? Was it the same like yesterday or did you find something new? Could you feel some or some more emptiness?
Ah, whatever. This was NOTHING! To be continued tomorrow if you like.
If someone is happy he or she can smile. Well.
That should be the whole thruth?
No, we watch it from the far side: your face has got a lot of nerves, around 40something. If you present them a smile, then they'll transport the following signal to your brain: Hey, he or she downstairs is smiling, so, she or he is happy, come on, pour out hormones for happiness!! Happiness hormones make...right, they make happier. Even if you are in a really bad mood.
Start:
Put a smile into your face, don't mind if it's totally artificial! Now take a deep slow breath while you once more watch this little star:
*
OK. Enough of smiling. How did you feel?
Now you can come back to your grimly mien, if you feel more comfortable with it. Or do the exercise once more in front of the mirror, anytime, when you just pass the bathroom. But you shouldn't overdo it of course.
Emptiness must be the consequence of doing NOTHING. And really, if you fill your glas with nothing you'll find it full with emptiness, won't you?
Start:
Let's take ONE deep breath as we took it yesterday: let flow the air through your nose or mouth into your pulmary and out of it afterwords, slowly. In the meantime observe carefully EVERY single sensation of your physical body.
This star will support you:
*
Finished? Good!
Now, please try to remember if there was a thought that had nothing to do with your physical sensations.
1) There was a thought? Or two? Congratulations, your brain still holds something, and this is the opposite of nothing. Your parents, teachers, doctors, politicians or whoever might be proud of you. Because you don't let go so easily. Your brain is full, but not empty. You might enjoy to continue by thinking about that.
0) There was NO other thought than just physical sensations? Congratulations, than you are already able to discover the first inkling of emptiness. No need to find a reason for it.
For today this should be enough of NOTHING.
If you like you might continue tomorrow.
Today we discover breathing. It's not easy to do it with consciousness. So we just try it only ONE time.
While you inhale and exhale the air in your natural rhythm pay attention to the feelings that appear meanwhile: you may feel the air floating in and out of your pulmonary, feel how your belly gets bigger and smaller, check the feeling of the air blowing under your nose, even in your nose. Do only observe the physical effects.
Start:
Take one breath, only one, slow and deep while you watch this little star:
*
Ready? Well done! That's it for today.
It's the first day of the year and we want to keep this success, so don't try it once more.
Tomorrow is a new day. Early enough to train more of NOTHING, right?
