The truth will set you free

Welcome to MindfulMornings. We hope you’re looking forward to the week ahead! 

Below is our latest blog post, if you’d like to check it out.

• Self-Care Morning Routine: Simple Steps for Better Results 

Here are 2 quotes, 2 tips, and 1 question to help you live healthier and happier this week.

2 Quotes

1) "Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away." – Elvis Presley

2) “As a child I was taught that to tell the truth was often painful. As an adult, I have learned that not to tell the truth is more painful, and that the fear of telling the truth — whatever the truth may be — that fear is the most painful sensation of a moral life.” - June Jordan

2 Tips

1) Be mindful of the stories we tell ourselves 

Why: Does your inner voice determine your destiny? Some people think so. We believe the narratives we create about ourselves have a profound impact on our thoughts, emotions, and actions.

By becoming aware of these stories, we can see if they are helping us navigate life or sending us around in circles. We can then reframe and rebuild the stories that hinder us, becoming more resilient and leading a happier, more fulfilling life.

How: The below steps help shape the running narrative we have in our heads so that it instills confidence, love, and self-belief.

1. Start your day with a brief journaling session. Write down the first thoughts that come to mind about yourself and your day ahead. What do you want your day to look like? How will your interactions go? Are you worrying about anything?

2. Read what you've written and ask yourself:

   • “Is this true?”

   • “Is this story aligned with the best part of me and who I really want to be today?”

   • "Is this story helping or hindering me?"

3. An important point to remember is that this is a story. Your day hasn't happened yet; everything you have written down is created in your head.

4. If you identify a negative or limiting thought, turn the page and rewrite it. Reframe your thoughts to ensure your story is positive. Do this from memory, without looking at the previous story.

5. Once you’ve rewritten the story, compare the two and notice how reshaping it changes how you view the world.

6. Throughout the day, pause periodically to notice the narratives running through your mind.

7. Practice self-compassion when you catch yourself in negative self-talk.

8. Before bed, reflect on how being mindful of your stories affected your day and write down any insights.

2) Posture is important

Why: There are many ways to further our mindfulness journeys. We can work on our inner self through meditation, and this will affect our outer world. But, we can also work on our outer self which will affect our inner world. Both are important.

The first limb of yoga, Yama, focuses on how we interact with the world around us, and posture plays a crucial role in this interaction. Our posture affects both how we feel internally and how others perceive us externally. This influences our thoughts, emotions, and actions. Moreover, posture has a significant impact on various aspects of our well-being, including:

• Back and neck health

• Breathing

• Digestion

• Mood

• Energy Levels

How:

• Begin by cultivating awareness of your posture throughout the day. Regularly check in with yourself to notice if you're slouching or hunching over. To assess your standing posture, use a wall as a reference point. You can find instructions on how to perform this check here.

• You may want to set a reminder on your phone or try an app like Atoms to create a habit of checking in on your posture.

• Ensure the spaces where you sit frequently are ergonomically friendly. Adjust your chair, desk, and computer screen to encourage a natural, upright position. This website helps you find the correct sitting posture.

• Incorporate exercises into your day that strengthen your core, back, and shoulders. Yoga poses like Mountain Pose, Cat-Cow, Plank, Boat, Sphinx, and Bridge are excellent for promoting good posture.

• Take breaks to stretch your body, especially if you sit for long periods. Simple stretches like shoulder rolls and neck tilts can relieve tension and keep your posture aligned.

1 Question

• What fear or anxiety are you resisting? Can you stop resisting, and look for what the fear or anxiety is trying to tell you?

We often resist and try to stop these emotions from affecting us. We push back against them as though they shouldn’t be there. A different approach is to accept them and look for what they are saying, and why they are there. A great talk to help with this is Transforming Fear.

Thanks for reading! We hope you enjoy your week.

With gratitude,

MindfulMornings

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