MEETING LIFE
The concept of Guesthouse
as used by Jon Kabat-Zinn,
was inspired by 13th-century poet Rumi.
Guesthouse is part of NL MINDFUL.
WAVES OF LIFE
In life, there are always new arrivals
“at the door” –
pleasant ones, difficult ones.
At times, life may feel heavy,
news, uncertainty, daily stress.
The waves of life may get higher,
loss, illness, pain, separation.
Waves will come for sure –
but we can learn to meet life.
APPROACHING
Sometimes, we want certain things
to be different,
but cannot change them right now.
By Putting out the Welcome Mat
as Jon Kabat-Zinn calls it,
we shift from avoidance to approach.
ALLOWING
We often try hard
to push away what feels difficult.
This takes a lot of energy.
We normally repeat in our mind:
Why is this happening to me?
Allowing may soften the stress response,
not by approving, but by recognizing
what is already here anyway
and allowing how we feel.
If we try to push emotions away,
we may end up maintaining them.
RELATING
In stressful moments, we are likely
to blame or judge ourselves.
Habitual self-criticism is additional
stress for body and mind.
It would be wiser to be supportive,
as we would do with a good friend.
We stabilize our mind through
kindness towards ourselves,
getting in touch with hope,
self-confidence and courage.
STORIES OF THE MIND
Thoughts are compelling.
They tend to take over.
Negative thoughts may lead to
lower self-esteem, guilt, fear,
poor sleep, loss of appetite
or social withdrawal.
Thoughts are just thoughts.
Stories of our mind.
We are not our thoughts.
We don’t suppress them,
but we don’t feed them either.
WATERFALL
Imagine stepping away
from a noisy waterfall,
just a few steps –
the sound is getting quieter,
we are no longer inside the noise,
we can observe from a distance,
without being swept away.
In the same way, we can observe
thoughts, sensations, emotions
with some distance.
STEP BACK & BREATHE
Anytime, anywhere. Just pause
Step back & breathe
Notice. Listen. Be here
Observing kindly
Opening up to what is
Allowing body & mind to soften
Connecting with the breath
Breath by breath
Moment by moment.
BEING
Mindfulness is not about
achieving goals or perfection.
It is about allowing ourselves to be.
Moment by moment.
Connecting with the body,
Awareness of the senses,
Seeing clearly what is here,
inside and outside.
TOUCHING GRASS
Experimental studies show:
Touching Grass may improve
memory, attention and cognition.
It is linked to an increase in
positive mood and decrease in
stress hormones, blood pressure,
and muscle tensions.
Norman Farb/ Zindel Segal:
Better in Every Sense
Touching grass can be a reminder
for sensory awareness.
It may include:
Eating lunch outside
Walking in a park
Getting some plants
Feeding birds
Preparing fruits, vegetables
Holding hands
Focusing on smell, sight, sound.
contact
NL MINDFUL
Mindfulness · Hamburg
Hartwicusstraße 3
Originally a Digital Class.
Now 1:1 Mindfulness Coaching
with Founder Melanie Kettner.
Get in Touch
Questions · Sessions
German · English
contact@nl-mindful.com