Mindfulness

"Nowhere can a person find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in their own soul.”
 
MARCUS AURELIUS 

Stoic Mindfulness or prosoche (attention), is the practice through which Stoics maintain continual attention to their own voluntary thoughts and actions and particularly the distinction between these and external events or automatic thoughts. While mindfulness in Buddhism pays greater attention to the body or breathing, Stoic mindfulness is focused specifically on the activity of our executive function ruling faculty (hegemonikon).

Distinction between strategic (voluntary) and automatic (involuntary) thought processes in contemporary psychology parallel a distinction the Stoics made between judgements or opinions that are up to us (dogmata) and automatic thoughts or impressions that are not (phantasiai).

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts." MARCUS AURELIUS 

Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness encourages us to pay attention to the present moment without judgment, and to observe thoughts and emotions without getting carried away by them. For Stoics, mindfulness is refusing to abandon the present for imagined threats or regrets.

Mindfulness can be a type of meditation but also exists independently as an informal and intentional experience. Mindfulness helps create space between stimulus and response.

Mindfulness is using your senses to pull your wandering mind into the present so you can fully experience it. Try this simple exercise:

Mindful Seeing


Go outside or find a space at a window where there are sights to be seen outside. Look at everything there is to see. Avoid labeling and categorizing what you see outside the window; try to notice the colors, patterns, textures. Pay attention to the movement of the grass or leaves in the breeze. Notice the many different shapes present in this small segment of the world you can see. Be observant, but not critical. Be aware, but not fixated.
If you become distracted, gently pull your mind away from those thoughts and notice a color or shape again to put you back in the right frame of mind.

ACTIVITY: Redirect Thought With Mindfulness 

Just Breathe

Breath is a bridge between mind and body. When we breathe with intention, we are activating the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes relaxation, and counteracting the effects of the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers the "fight-or-flight" response. Breathing helps us to be mindful.

Diaphragmatic breathing (belly breathing), stimulates the vagus nerve. Deep breathing allows more oxygen to reach the brain and body, which can help reduce muscle tension and promote a sense of calm.

Try these breathing techniques:
 

• Box Breathing – Inhale 4 seconds, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4.

• 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding – Name 5 things you see, 4 feel, 3 hear, 2 smell, 1 taste.

• Progressive Muscle Relaxation – Tense/release body regions slowly.

• Directed Breath – Breathe in courage, breathe out tension.

There is more to inner peace than breathing but the sacred act of mindful inhalation and exhalation shouldn't be underestimated.

Incorporate Sound

Keep track of the mindfulness exercises you practice in this log. Which work best for you? 

Try this Stoic meditation

Assignments 

 🧘 MINDFULLY GRATEFUL Meditation 

👀 Watch MINDFULNESS playlist

🧘‍♀️Each day during time of leisure, try a mindfulness or breath activity. Download the log above to keep track or complete the log in your document download or paper document.

📩 Stoic Steps Together: Send worksheets to ironmindsmentoring@gmail.com (or complete them in the shared workbook sent to your email). You can also complete them in the workbook sent to you and send photos to your coach. Don't forget to take advantage of sending up to four emails per week discussing trauma and stoicism. We look forward to connecting with you and meeting you where you're at.

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