Going through my somewhat diminished library of books last weekend, I stumbled upon a book titled, The Peace Book by Louise Diamond. A friend had given me the book and wrote underneath the title in bold letters, or HOW TO STAY CENTERED IN TIMES OF STRESS.
Inside the book I found pretty handmade paper bookmarks with all kinds of gems written on them. By who? By me. Weird.
Even more weird (or would it be weirder?) is the fact that I have absolutely NO recognition of making these. I mean it – no recognition at all.
Instead of getting myself stuck in the whirlpool of negative thoughts that emerge from not remembering something that must have been a turning point in my (not so long ago) past, I decided to gather up the bookmarks and turn them into blog posts to help myself and my clients and friends.
(I will keep you posted if any memories surface in the process!)
Bookmark 1 – Cultivate Breath
-learn how to breathe deeply
when you feel yourself zooming
STOP
yes, STOP ( you can spare the 10 seconds)
breathe deeply from your belly at least 3-5 times.
(you will notice your muscles relaxing and your mind calming)
–when you are in a situation and notice you are getting frustrated, walk away.
(leave the room and practice your deep breathing-REPEAT- as many times as necessary per situation)
I found this bookmark on page 2 of the book and here is the first paragraph:
Life is becoming faster and more stressful (this book was written in 2001 and I think even Louise Diamond would agree that it is even faster and more stressful now!) many of us are cut off from the natural world (does it count that I am writing on the computer with the back door open?), dependent on machines and complex technologies. In our rush to keep up, we forget how important the simple act of breathing can be.
Enough said. Let’s just take a deep breath together.
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