Mind Tools & Inspirations: Those who came before
Remembering those who came before—who have faced what we are facing—can feel comforting and inspiring. This 3-minute experience helps you to do that.
TRY THIS…
If you have time, let me guide you so you can focus on your experience.
HERE IS THE PRACTICE
Your experiences are unique to you. Your experiences are also part of the fabric of countless generations of human life.
Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath as you settle in to the practice. Count the length of your inhale. Count the length of your exhale. You’re no trying to change anything, just noticing. Do this for several breaths.
Then allow a challenge you are facing to come to mind.
What is the nature of that challenge?
Notice how you feel when you think about that challenge.
Count the length of your inhale. Count the length of your exhale. Just noticing. Do this for several breaths.
Imagine or have a sense of other people who face a similar challenge.
Imagine or have a sense of people from the past who have faced a similar challenge.
Imagine or have a sense of support from those who have come before.
Count the length of your inhale. Count the length of your exhale.
WHY DO THIS?
Pausing to count the length of your inhale and exhale changes your mind. It interrupts your train of thought and activates somatosensory awareness (awareness of bodily sensations—in this case, your breath).
It can be comforting to remember you are not alone. So many others have faced similar challenges—perhaps succeeding, perhaps not.
Maybe some had great ideas. Maybe some became famous for championing free speech or organizing their closets. Maybe they found solutions that could help you.
Taking a few minutes to connect with humanity can help you feel a little more expansive. New approaches might arise, or new confidence, or shared misery.
Mind Tools & Inspirations are experiences for busy, smart, curious people to help you operate your human system.
To access the full set of Mind Tools visit https://substack.com/@yogamindtools
I add a new experience every week.
Kindly,
Carrie
Carrie Heeter, PhD
Yoga Mind Tools
This one was really nice. Got some imagined hugs from a menagerie of imagined (and some real!) folks from my past.
I have been primed by studying our ancestry recently, specifically veterans. I was visualizing VFW halls I have been in for everything from pancake breakfasts to wedding venues. When you said to ask for help, though…my mind sought out the women.