Our brain responds to three types of attentional cues in our life:
- It notices what we need for our survival.
- It notices what appeals to our interests… or grabs our attention.
- It notices what we choose to notice.
Most of the time, we function in the second category. We automatically respond to “demands and appeals” of our environment… which weakens our ability to deliberately direct our attention. It helps to “pay attention on purpose” to keep the “choice” function strong.
Today and for the entire work week, we will practice a formal attention-training exercise that is the foundation for living in the HERE and NOW. The aim of this exercise is to convert our busy brain into an alert mind. As an added bonus, it is a technique that will jumpstart our relaxation response, which is why it is important to spend time “what is.”
Instructions:
- Choose a period of time to complete the practice in 1-minute, 3-minute, 5-minute, 7-minute or 10-minute segments.
- Listen to one of the guided audio files provided here or in the Momentivity section of your portal OR create your own self-directed Mindful Breathing experience by “doing nothing else” but attending to each full breath cycle (from the pause before inhalation, through the inhalation, to the pause between inhalation and exhalation, to the exhalation… before beginning again).
© Copyright 2013 Maria Hunt
