fact melts away the fear…
Practice: Snow Globe (Settling the Mind)
by meditative - November 14th, 2011.Filed under: Attending Meditation Exercises, Mindfulness for Parents & Children.
Inspired by “Child’s Mind: Mindfulness Practices to Help Our Children Be More Focused, Calm, and Relaxed” ~ Christopher Willard
Our minds often behave a lot like snow globes. As soon as we move & pick them up to examine them, we notice how “stirred up” things start to become inside them.When we take notice and examine our own minds, our thoughts, feelings, and sensations often appear to be swirling around much like the unsettled flakes (glitter) of the snow globe. To clearly recognize (distinguish) what’s happening in our own minds, we have to allow things to settle.
The first thing we need to do is to still the body, so we can still our mind. When we set the snow globe down- now we can simply observe its flakes settle. It is through our watchful observation- our non-disturbing attention that things can settle down naturally. It may not take long in the snow globe the way it does in our mind, but we also can’t make either settle without being still ourselves. We need to exercise patience (forbearance) by taking time to let the mind settle.
After your snow globe has become clear & settled, pick it up again and shake it. As best you can, see if you can follow just one of the pieces of glitter or a single snow flake as it drifts downward in the globe. Be aware of your breath as you watch the “storm” (turbulence) in the globe calming itself. If you lose track of your little piece of glitter or flake, simply find another to watch swirl until it settles. As you watch, let your mind settle itself.
When your globe settles, “check in” with your mind. Is it more settled than before? Try lifting and swirling the globe again…
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