Tag Archives: #bepresent

Mindful Activities, Mindful Meditation, poetry

Ego Weeps

Ego weeps

I stand before you
My knees are weak

I kneel before you
My shoulders are steep

I bow before you
My head is heavy with grief

I rest and breathe 

Breathing in and out
I feel the relief
of my heart
as it anchors to the shore
of steady

My ego flows off of me
along with my grief 
A drip, then a river’s story

A lightness comes
awakens within
saves me from the ego’s pull
before it begins again

As I stand before you
in strength and light
let the ego weep
-ego weeps by Alexis Cress

When we are in the present moment and let the thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow behind, we feel the light and strength within. This is where our lives truly shine. Don’t let ego’s stories take away your peace. Let your ego rest so you can fully feel peace and calm.

Blessings❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍

Alexis Cress 

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Costa Rica, Mindful Activities, poetry, Rain

Whispers in the Rain

Whispers in the Rain by Alexis Cress

I am blessed to live in the beautiful rainforest of Costa Rica. Rain here is so much more than a passing weather story, but often the main story of the day (average rainfall per year is over 250 inches!) We see the daily product of the rain in our landscape’s unbelievably vivid greens and also the devastation of the rain in its extremes at certain times of the year with landslides and flooding.

But, if you are lucky enough you will experience the “whispers” of the rain. The gentleness in her sounds – singing you to sleep, the coolness in her drops – waking you from grief, and the strength in her flow – taking away from you what you no longer need. Rain connects us directly to nature, her healing powers, and awakens the power we already have within us.

Experience the “whispers in the rain” today.

Blessings❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍

Alexis Cress

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advocacy, animal rescue, love, Mindful Living, poetry

You’re not alone

You’re not alone
even when the night is dark
there are angels nearby 
guarding around

You may feel afraid, hungry, and hopeless too
but know an angel is watching over you

Be certain that she sees you there 
your life is a gift of love and light
don’t despair 

When I saw you there
my tears poured down
I felt your pain, your fear
of being alone

Were you abandoned 
or did you lose your way
It’s still hard to believe the world
would turn away

We are learning and trying 
to be better each day
Our true hearts are shown
in how we choose to live today

As you rest your head
upon the rocky ground
know that you are loved
You are never alone.
-Alexis Cress

We are never alone. When I started writing this poem, I was reflecting on the abandonment and neglect of animals. But, when I came back to the poem, I was thinking of those in our society who are forgotten, ignored, broken. How we choose to live today is not only important to our own physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing, but it also affects all beings around us. We are so powerful and we are so loved. We are never alone.

Blessings❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🤍

Alexis

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education, health benefits, Mindful Activities, Mindful Eating, Mindful Living, Mindful Meditation

Let me introduce myself to ME! – Part 3 of a three-part series.

Did you know that being mindful, specifically the practice of mindfulness meditation, can help you learn more about yourself? And, what better person to learn more about!

Sitting with our breath, our mind, for just a few minutes a day, can help shine a spotlight on our habitual responses, our self-talk. Sometimes our self-talk is reassuring and helpful, but other times it can be negative, cause turmoil, and lead us to make wrong choices or decisions. We can be our own worst enemy. But, when we take the time to learn more about ourselves, our thought patterns, we can become more accepting and compassionate towards ourselves and towards others.

In my three-part series on Mindful Living, I have discussed two ways of living mindfully – Mindful Eating and Mindful Wakeups. Today’s blog post is about mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness meditation is a seated meditation practice where you focus on your breath, your thoughts, your emotions, but let them pass without judgment. I have practiced and taught this form of meditation for many years. As someone who has dealt with anxiety and stress over the years, this form of meditation has helped me learn about my habitual thought patterns and as a result learn how to become more calm and more relaxed. In addition to potentially relieving stress and anxiety, mindfulness meditation can help improve sleep, improve health, and even improve brain function! The Harvard Gazette says “Doing mindfulness is like a fitness routine for your brain,” she said. “It keeps your brain healthy.”

Before I give a few suggestions on how you can start your very own mindfulness meditation practice, I first would like to tell you what mindfulness meditation is NOT:

  • It is NOT a religion.
  • It is NOT a relaxation exercise, rather it is a way of understanding (through practice) of how our mind behaves and how our mind and body work together as a whole.
  • It is NOT going into a trance.
  • It is NOT escaping from reality.
  • It is NOT for only monks.

Rather, Mindfulness Meditation is a study of ourselves and an exploration of our life experience. It reminds us of what we are supposed to be doing and who we are. It helps us truly live!

Let’s get started in Mindfulness Meditation:

  • Find a quiet place to sit without being disturbed.
  • Decide on a specific time for the meditation session. If you are a beginner to mindfulness meditation, I would suggest you start with 5 minutes. The Insight Timer is a great app you can download onto your phone. This app also has guided meditations!
  • Wear loose, comfortable clothing. A meditation cushion helps in both comfort and posture. Find a seated position that works best for you and your degree of flexibility. Sit up tall. Place your hands palm-up on your knees. Or, if you prefer, rest your hands (palms-up) in your lap, or another hand gesture you are comfortable with. Heathline.com gives some additional options on seated meditation positions.
  • Relax your shoulders. Tilt your head slightly forward so your gaze is naturally directed to the floor in front of you. 
  • Relax your jaw and mouth, with your teeth slightly apart. Do not clench your jaw. Your lips are slightly touching. Tip of tongue touching back of upper teeth, or rest behind your lower teeth.
  • Close your eyes: Breathe naturally. Sit for about one minute before you begin – allow your heart and breathing to slow.
  • Gently bring your attention to your breath and begin the meditation session: There is no particular goal. Just sit and breathe. Allow yourself to be absorbed in the practice.
  • Allow your thoughts and feelings to come and go without attachment: Don’t try to control your thoughts in any way. Don’t follow them. Just note them and return to your awareness of the breath.
  • How to handle distractions:  There are quite a few ways to handle distractions, and I will note a few here, but in time you will find techniques that work the best for you. Deep Breaths – take a few deep, quick breaths when you realize you have become distracted.  Counting – on your inhale count “one, one, one” until the lungs are full of air, then on your exhale count “two, two, two” until your lungs are out of air; continue this until you reach ten and repeat if needed.
  • Meditate in this way for 5 – 20 minutes (beginners for less time). It is more important and beneficial to meditate for 5 minutes each day, rather than an hour every two weeks. Daily practice is an essential element of effective meditation.

Are you ready to meet YOU? Are you ready to explore and learn more about your beautiful, divine self?

I hope this blog gives you the gentle nudge you need to try this profound meditation practice. Please contact me if you want to learn more about mindfulness meditation. As a practitioner and teacher of this mindful practice, I would love to help you along your mindful living exploration.

Blessings to you,

Alexis

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health benefits, Mindful Activities, Mindful Living

Daily Mindful Living – part 2 of a three-part series

When you think of mindfulness, do you visualize a person sitting on a rock with a picturesque background with sounds of water trickling nearby? While this is a nice visualization of one form of mindfulness, it is a tiny part of a huge world of mindful activities. Or maybe you think mindful living can only be done by a monk, or someone who practices buddhism or another form of spiritual practice? Everyone, no matter what spiritual practice, religion, or no religious affiliation at all, can (and should) practice mindful living. It is a way of life. A way of living consciously. Or in even simpler terms, a way of truly living.

To summarize from part 1 of my three-part series on mindful living Are you living mindfully? to live mindfully, is to live with intention, with conscious awareness, and the understanding that every action (or inaction) has a response, a consequence. Every activity in your day can be done mindfully. It is the simple act of being present and aware of what you are doing at that exact moment. The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it becomes, and the more benefits you will reap in your daily life.

Mindful.org lists five mindfulness practices for your daily life. I encourage you to check them out. Here is one that I highly recommend to start practicing today.

  1. Mindful Wakeup: Start with a Purpose. When we set an intention, our underlying motivation is aligned more with our actions and reactions throughout our day. Scientifically, “from the brain’s perspective, when we act in unintended ways, there’s a disconnect between the faster, unconscious impulses of the lower brain centers and the slower, conscious, wiser abilities of the higher centers like the pre-frontal cortex.” Therefore, when we set an intention we strengthen the connection between our higher and lower brain centers. In doing so, our actions, our responses, will be more mindful, more compassionate, and align more with our purpose and our core values. Sounds amazing, right? Here are steps to start with your intention every day.
    • On waking in the morning, take the time to breathe and notice how you feel.
    • Take three long, deep, breaths. Notice how the breath feels. Notice where your breath is settling in your body.
    • Ask yourself – “What is my intention today?” or “How might I help myself or others today?” “What do I want to improve on today?” (Mindful.org has many great prompts and suggestions for you.)
    • Set your intention for the day. Some examples, “Today I will take good care of myself.” “Today I will eat healthy.” “Today I will help others.”
    • Throughout the day, check on your intention. Take moments throughout the day to pause and breathe. Review your day and notice if you are following the intention you set for the day.

The more we practice living with intention, the more we will be truly living in the present moment. We will live less on autopilot (our fast brain) and more mindfully (with our slow brain). Let’s get our brain centers working together! There is so much beauty in this world. Let’s not miss it!!

Blessings,

Alexis

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education, health benefits, Mindful Activities, Mindful Living, Mindful Meditation, poetry

Your Mindfulness Breath

Your Mindfulness Breath

Sit still
think of nothing
only your breath 
coming in and going out

Do you hear it
the silence in your mind 
and the awakening in your heart

Do you feel it
the warmth in your body
the lifting of the life weight off your shoulders 
and the opening of your soul

Can you see it 
the lightness before you
the path to your true calling

Can you touch it
the beauty that lies before you
beckoning you to come closer

Will you allow it
this mindfulness
this path to true discovery

Will you accept it 
this beauty and love that surrounds you

It is always there for you 
waiting in your mindfulness breath

Sit still
think of nothing
only your breath
coming in and going out.
-Alexis Cress

Have you ever tried mindfulness meditation? As my 3 part Mindful Living series will demonstrate, you can practice mindfulness doing anything and everything (which I hope you do!).

The American Psychological Association describes mindfulness meditation as paying attention to what is happening in the present moment and then accepting what is happening without judgement. For example, when you are in a seated meditation focusing on your breath, and your mind starts to wander or a specific thought comes into your mind – no worries – just become aware of this without analyzing your thought or yourself, and come back to your breath. I will discuss more about mindfulness meditation in Part 2 of my Mindful Living series, as well as in upcoming blogs. It is one of my favorite meditation practices. Stay tuned!

Be mindful today, and experience your life in a whole new, glorious way!

Blessings,

Alexis

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education, health benefits, life lessons, Mindful Eating, Mindful Living

Are you living mindfully? Part 1 of a three-part series.

To answer this question, you may want another questioned answered first – “What does it mean to live mindfully?” There is a simple answer, but to live this way regularly is by no means simple! To live mindfully, is to live with intention, with conscious awareness, and the understanding that every action (or inaction) has a response, a consequence. I will soon delve deeper into 3 different areas of mindful living, but first I will share a brief summary of them all to hopefully peak your interest and help you learn mindful living benefits and ways to start living mindfully today! Today’s blog will be on Mindful Eating.

So, let’s get started by talking about Mindful Eating. Everyday Health describes mindful eating as “Mindful eating is a concept and a practice that’s centered around being present while making choices around the food that we eat”. Easy right? Not so fast. Many of us have grown up in a western society where time is money. Taking time to eat mindfully is often out of the question, especially during the week when our meals are around (or during) business meetings, catching up on the news, or talking with family.

Harvard School of Public Health lists “Seven Practices of Mindful Eating”. For this post, I will go over just a few of my favorites that I try to follow daily, but they are all so good!

  1. Honor your food. For example, when I take my first sip of coffee, I take some time to acknowledge all those that helped this yummy coffee find its way in my cup today (the human who planted the seed, the farmers who cared for and nurtured the plant, nature that watered and helped it grow, the people who harvested and packaged the beans, and any other beings that helped me come to enjoy this daily cup of my favorite joe). For my meals, I try to also practice this mindful process.
    • Now, you may find that you don’t know where the food came from or how it was prepared. This is where awareness and curiosity comes in. Depending on where you live and its climate, along with the choices available (or not available) for fresh produce or communication with the farmer on the process of the item you are consuming, this can be a challenging (but very important!) step in honoring the food you are choosing for your body (physically, mentally, and emotionally). I encourage you to take the time to ask the questions of your local farmer/rancher, your local supermarket, about the food you are purchasing with your hard earned money, and nourishing your body (and mind) with. For me personally, I find the more steps there are from the farmer to my table, the less likely I will want to consume this food or drink item.
  2. Engage your senses. Really see and taste the food. Before you take the first bite, look at your plate. Is it a rainbow of colors or just one or two colors of foods. More vibrant colors on your plate may make you smile and also give you more overall nutrients for your body. Take in a whiff. Does it smell good? Your senses affect your emotions, your mood, and more importantly relating to your food – your digestion. Also, chew slowly, which gives you the added benefit of not eating too much! Now, as you eat, notice how it makes you feel – its texture, its taste, both emotionally and physically. Are you eating nutritious foods for your body? Which leads to my final mindful eating suggestion for today.
  3. Consider the long-term effects of your food choices. This conscious awareness brings a unique connection to your food and drink choices and the rest of the world, your community, the environment. (I will go deeper into this mindful way of living when I talk about your super human power as purchaser and consumer in the market place.) Stay tuned!
    • For some, this step of mindful eating will be choosing only locally grown produce (farmers and growers in your community). This can be more challenging for those that are living in an environment where choices are limited because of climate and other farmer/grower-to-table options.
    • For others, this choice of mindful eating may be choosing an only plant-based diet; whether for making better choices for your long-term health benefits, or honoring the humane treatment of animals, or the long-term effects on the environment. This point is connected with “Honor the Food” above. If it is important to you, take the time to find out about the food source, where the food source came from, how the food was made, how the food was grown, and (if an animal source) how the animals were treated along the way.

Are you ready to practice mindful eating? (If you already practice mindful eating, I would love to hear more about your process, your tips. Please leave them in the comments.) For those of you who are ready to start this mindfulness practice but are feeling a little overwhelmed, I suggest you start with the first suggestion “Honor your food”. Take just one meal (or just one daily drink) and before you consume it, reflect on the many hands that helped this food come to your table. Breathe in a moment of gratitude. Just one moment of gratitude ignites calming energy within your body and also shares this amazing energy of gratitude to the world around you.

Your choices, as simple or as complex as they may be, will make a huge impact on your health, your life, and the world around you. Thank you for being mindful today!

And as they say in Costa Rica – ¡Buen provecho!

Blessings,

Alexis

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