Mindfulness is the superpower.
Get in control of your ego, your thoughts and your emotions once and for all.
Seriously.
If you’re not mindful, you’re not fully alive.
Here’s why…
PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
Daheck?
The parasympathetic nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system that manages the status of our digestive system, heart rate, blood pressure… Basically it activates the system of regeneration and relaxation.
The opposite of parasympathetic nervous system is the sympathetic nervous system where our heart rate, muscle tension, respiration, body temperature and even blood pressure is increased.
The sympathetic nervous system was used by humans in life-threatening situations to prepare our body for either “fight” or “flight” mode.
It’s useful when *le wild tiger approaches and your life is in danger, however frequent activation of the sympathetic nervous system is very damaging to the body.
Based on this article in Harvard Health Publishing: “The repeated activation of the stress response takes a toll on the body. Research suggests that chronic stress contributes to high blood pressure, promotes the formation of artery-clogging deposits, and causes brain changes that may contribute to anxiety, depression, and addiction.”
The thing is… almost everyone is almost all the time in this stressful state.
This is because our brain processes every false alarm as a possible danger. A car passing by loudly (even though you’re in your apartment)? Activate the stress response. Need to give a school presentation? Activate the stress response. Have unknown tension in your body? Activate the stress response.
Our reptilian brain (which has evolved millions of years ago) can’t differentiate between true danger and false alarm. It’s called a reptilian brain with a reason.
ENTER MINDFULNESS
Mindfulness is an easy tool to override the stupid reptilian brain.
With a quick trick such as body awareness and relaxation, you can enter the parasympathetic nervous system in seconds.
This is how it’s done easy peasy:
- Sit or stand or whatever, just don’t move. Once you master it, you can even do it while moving. That’s real zen power right there.
- You know the feeling when you finish some work and you sit and you sink in your couch and you AHHHH relax? Remember that feeling.
- Now put awareness on your forehead and try to relax your forehead with that AHHHH feeling. The point is to try. You might feel something but even if you don’t that’s totally fine.
- Now put your awareness on your eyebrows and again relax them the same way.
- Now eyes.
- Then cheeks, then lips, inside your mouth, lips, ears, neck , shoulders, chest, right biceps, right forearm, right hand, left biceps, left forearm, left hand, stomach, hips, knee, shin and foots.
- THAT’S IT.
In the beginning it might take you a minute or so, but as you master it, you will be able to relax your whole body in less than 10 seconds or even while doing some activity (I’m doing it as I’m writing these words). In later stages you can try relaxing both your arms at the same time and then both your legs at same time.
As for the breathing… as long as you’re not breathing through your mouth it’s fine.
Just try to breathe as little as possible because contrary to the popular belief, more breathing won’t oxygenate your body more (your blood is always 97-99% oxygenated even with very little breathing). With over-breathing (which most modern humanity does, even you) you’re just losing more CO2 which is the critical component for shifting your blood’s pH levels so that the blood environment is conducive to easier oxygen transport from the red blood cells to the tissues and cells. Put simply: to get better body oxygenation and hence be healthier, you need to breathe less, not more. This is the biggest health hack ever, but I’ll write about this on another post.
Bonus tip:
If you can’t stop your random thoughts during this or any other meditative practice, try repeating these words in your mind: “Stop the thoughts, stop the thoughts, stop the thoughts…” In the beginning you’ll just be able to cut off the random thoughts, but as you progress, you’ll be able to maintain a calm mind for longer periods of time.
There you go. Master just this simple body awareness and relaxation technique and you’ll be able to activate your parasympathetic nervous system and enter the mindful and relaxed state whenever you feel even slightest feelings of stress.
GIVE ME SOME MORE BENEFITS OF MINDFULNESS
1. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR EGO
Mindfulness means you’re calm and aware.
Whenever you’re feeling emotionally or mentally stressed, try to enter this state of calm and awareness.
While you’re in this state, you can ask yourself… what the heck is happening within me? Is this me or my ego?
Ego is basically your defense mechanism.
The “I” that wants to protect itself.
It can appear as arrogance, as low self-esteem or overly high self-esteem especially when coupled with arrogance.
It comes from the state of scarcity and division instead of state of abundance and unity.
It is greed, jealousy and it seeks power because it is weak.
The opposite is love, compassion and it seeks to serve and to matter.
I’ll write about ego in more detail in another post.
Just remember that in the state of mindlessness it’s not you that’s in control, but your ego.
Only in the state of mindfulness can you be aware of what is happening.
And with that heightened perception, you can know what is the right thing to do.
2. ACTIVATE RELAXATION AND REGENERATION
As long as you’re in a mindless state, your body is full of tension and stress.
This tension and stress blocks the regenerative processes of the body.
You’re constantly in a state of lack and need. Your body feels this desperation and it’s wasting a lot of precious energy.
You also block the normal energy flow within your energetic body. This causes energy fluctuations during the day and you’re not able to able to perform at your optimal levels 24/7.
A relaxed body is crucial for well-being.
Do you remember when your body was just so tired and you snapped at your friend, loved one or other family member?
It happens to everyone all the time.
And do you remember when your body felt just so light and energetic and without any reason you wanted to be nice to everyone and share the inner joy?
This is because our body, emotion and mind are interconnected.
The state of your body affects your emotions and your emotions affect your mind.
Or vice versa, you could have stressful emotions and suddenly your body also feels fatigued and heavy.
Taking control of your body, your emotion and mind is critical to success and happiness.
Maintaining the mindful state ensures you can keep a relaxed body and be aware when your body is tired so that you can take a rest or do some exercise.
Next time you’re about to snap to someone, just stop and think whether maybe you’re simply just tired? Take a nap or go shower you pumpkin face.
3. LASER FOCUS AND SUPER CALM
When you’re in the mindful state, you can maintain super focus.
Whether it be work or sports or trying to write a haiku, whatever, it’s easy to maintain a calm state of mind and focus just on that single task.
You can more easily deflect any thoughts of distractions and this helps you to enter the flow.
The flow state means that you’re fully immersed and involved, almost becoming one with the activity itself.
This is also one of the purposes of mindfulness and state of zen.
You’re not the thinker, you’re not even the doer.
You’re the doing itself.
You’re in the zone.
And with the heightened ability to stay calm, you can maintain this flow for longer stretches of time.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOURSELF
You live only once.
Stop being a slave to your ego and thoughts.
You’re the one who should control your thoughts and emotions.
And I know that you can do it.
And you must do it.
You must take control of your life so that you can finally work towards realizing your vision.
The world needs your energy and your dream come true.
Here’s what I want you to do.
Try the body awareness and relaxation technique right now.
DO IT.
And then do it again when you feel stressed or unfocused.
And then again and again.
Soon the technique will activate by itself whenever you feel something isn’t right in your body, emotion or thoughts.
That’s when you will unlock your true power.
