Part 1: Mindful Brushing
There are things we do in everyday life that if
done mindfully, can have a big impact on our goals. And throughout the material we have shared with you,
there is been one common thread.
And we cannot stress this enough. So here it is
yet again.
Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness.
Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness.
Awareness. Awareness. Awareness. Awareness.
It really is everything.
Don’t walk through life blindly.
Because awareness can actually help us reach our
goals. Mindful walking can help you meet your step count, Mindful eating can actually help with Portion
Awareness
But awareness is the key to every action and
activity. More than that, there are activities which are natural bedfellows for mindfulness meditation in
their own simple, repetitive actions.
We like this one. It’s actually so simple
and amazing when I first head about it I wondered why I never had never heard of it before! It’s now an
every morning joy.
MINDFUL BRUSHING! Genius.
We should all be brushing our teeth twice a day.
In the morning and before going to bed at night.
Dr. Fern White, an Australian
dentist who also practices mindfulness, suggests that treating your oral health as a mindfulness tool can
double as “brushing your brain,” acting as a meditative exercise to calm the mind to prepare it for the
day ahead, or relax it for sleep. Source
It actually is a perfect time to clear
the head of worries and stresses of the morning rush, and of all the thoughts of the day before going to
bed at night.
It’s also an easy mindfulness exercise to get
the children involved.
The technique is simple BUT please take extra
care to make sure you have something to hold on to (the sink)
At a basic level:
- Make sure you are standing at your sink (in
case you need to hold onto it) - Put toothpaste on your toothbrush
- Begin to brush your teeth (remembering to
give each quarter of your mouth 30 seconds) - Make sure to breathe through your nose,
gently and naturally. - Notice the taste of the toothpaste. Feel
the sensations of the mintiness. Its coolness. - Feel the sensation of the toothbrush moving
back and forth over your teeth. - Keep remembering to breathe naturally
through your nose - Listen to the sound of the brushing. Pay
attention to it - Slowly, perhaps halfway through, gently
raise one foot off the floor a little and
stand on one leg as you brush. - Keeping your balance continue to brush your
teeth. Make sure you have the sink to hold on to if needs be. Or just simply put your raised foot back
on the floor. - You want to bring your thoughts to the
present, to your sense of keeping your balance, to the taste of the toothpaste, the rhythm of the
brushing, the sound of the brushing, and remember to move from one-quarter of your mouth to the next. - This whole process of being aware of the
brushing, the taste, the sound, the rhythm and the balance means the brain is gently forced to focus its
full attention on the actions you are taking, freeing it from any of the rushed morning thoughts you may
normally have. - When you have finished the brushing, rinse
deliberately, feeling the sensation of the water over your clean teeth - Now take a deep breath in through your nose
and exhale naturally. - Be kind. Thank yourself for the chance to
begin the morning with a sense of calm. This thank you is your generosity to yourself at the start of
the day
Make sure to alternate between one leg and the
next every morning.
This is a great, simple, healthy habit that you
can develop as part of a set of habits
Find your own chain of them. But remember the
purpose. To set you up for the day ahead or for your arrival in bed with fewer thoughts clattering about
in your head.
To find out more about the Million Steps
Challenge and how we can help you, your business or charity, please visit https://millionsteps.com
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