The Tibetan word for meditate means “to know”. The more we know ourselves the better we are able to practice healthy habits that help improve our mindset, nutrition, and movement.
This helps keep us healthier, hopefully flare free, and better able to recover from any IBD health setback.
In “Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience” science journalist Stephan Hall writes that, “wisdom begins with awareness, of the self and the world outside the self; it deepens with the awareness of the inherent tension between the inner ‘I’ and the outer world.”
Awareness, or mindfulness, is simply paying attention to what is happening right now.
- What are you doing right now?
- What are you experiencing and feeling right now?
Take a moment to observe. That purposeful observation is awareness.
To work best, awareness should be nonjudgmental. You’re just looking. Feeling. Sensing. Experiencing. Noticing. That’s all.
Notice and naming things changes them. Fundamentally.
Set aside 5 minutes every day to simply sit and be mindful, aka meditate. If you must have something to focus on try lighting a candle and simply watch it for those 5 minutes. Headspace is a very helpful app for this.
That’s as complicated and as simple as it should be.
Try this:
Practice your 5 minute meditation today.
