Healing and mindfulness

Healing and mindfulness go together like peanut butter and chocolate, or chocolate and chocolate, for my peanut-allergic friends, or whatever, choose your favorite pairings. 

What is mindfulness? 

To me, it is simply being present, aware of my immediate environment and my body in it. It does not require a 2-minute meditation program, though a 2-minute meditation program is a good thing to do and I recommend these helpful little apps to get started. To me, it is a constant attitude adjustment, which I learned from a 2-minute meditation program that I no longer need, but can go back to anytime if my mind gets loopy with anxiety. 

Mindfulness is about being aware of this present moment, relaxing my body, and watching thoughts come and go, the way I watch clouds come and go. Oh, look at that one, its shape reminds me of a dragon...and that one looks like a bunny...and that one looks like a dog...and now they're all slowly changing, dissipating, becoming mere wisps and floating away. 

When negative thoughts occur you may reframe them. An example of this is...

"I'm so pissed off at that guy who gave me the wrong information that sent me down a rabbit hole..."

Reframed: "It's a good thing that I persevered to discover the correct information. People make mistakes. Maybe he was having a hard day. I make mistakes, too. It wasn't malicious." 

Mindfulness is being aware that happiness lies within, is always within reach. My happiness is my responsibility. Your happiness is your responsibility. 

Mindfulness is being aware that other peoples' problems are not my problems. Of course, I can choose to help others, and sometimes I do. That's my private business. It is not an obligation. I did not bring them into this world. I cannot save the world. I cannot fix everybody else's life. Mindfulness is, to me, an awareness of my limits and personal core values. 

Stress hormones are harmful when they are constantly released in the body. It is necessary to identify stressors in my life and to change what I can to reduce stress. A 2-minute break to relax and reset my mind is often all it takes. If anxiety is more persistent and overwhelming, I may talk to a doctor about it and take a prescription, or I may nibble on a cannibis edible to alter my thoughts and mood. I consider myself fortunate to live in a state where marijuana is legal. Cannabis has helped me since SSRIs stopped working for me. However, when I begin lymphoma treatment, it is advised to stop all herbal supplements, and that includes cannabis. Why? Because the drugs that help the body kill cancer are serious drugs and the interactions have not been studied. There is no data about it. It could be mostly harmless, or it could be the cause of worse side effects. It is a big unknown and I cannot expect a doctor to advise me if I am presenting her with an unknowable situation. 

No worries. I can manage without cannabis nibbles. I often do. Mostly, I was micro dosing because I was bored. Now, I am too challenged to be bored. 

I am on the hardest trail I have ever been on, and I am writing the best science fiction novel I possibly can, training my brain to be humorous. 

Healing and mindfulness go together because mindfulness (being present and consciously relaxing your body and mind) helps to reduce stress in the body. 🥰

I have lived with many zen masters. All of them cats.
-Eckhart Tolle