This is what I wrote for work for Winter Wellness Week!

Mindful Monday
Whether you have done some mindfulness before, or if you are an absolute beginner, explore these adult wellness practices for healthy mind, body and spirit.  After experiencing these practices for yourself, then try the five-pointed star breathing lesson with your students.


MIndfulness Resources for Adults
Patricia Jennings, a leader in the field of Social Emotional Learning and Mindfulness in Education, has studied teacher stress and how it impacts the social and emotional context of the classroom and student well-being and learning. In this article, she discusses the Seven Ways Mindfulness Can Help Teachers by training our minds consciously to become more aware of our inner and outer experience, and learning how to manage our emotions.
 
There are many ways to practice mindfulness.  Here are a few links featuring different modalities.  Try all four and find the one that is right for you!  
 
Often these types of links are blocked for bandwidth purposes. If you visit mps.org and sign-in to authenticate with your district login, you will be able to play these.  Also try using Chrome.
 
Breathing:  A 5-Minute Breathing Meditation To Cultivate Mindfulness
 
Gratitude:  A Simple Weekly Mindfulness Practice: Keep a Gratitude Journal
 
Loving-Kindness: A Loving-Kindness Meditation to Boost Compassion
 
Body Scan:  A 3-Minute Body Scan Meditation to Cultivate Mindfulness
 
These links are from the Greater Good Science Center where you can find even  more resources.  
 
“I think one of my biggest roles as a teacher is to provide my students with a place that they feel safe coming to and being in every single day. I think mindfulness plays a large role in making this possible. In terms of my own personal practice, mindfulness has helped me in the way I show up for students. I am able to be more present when responding to their needs, and am able to take a breath before I react to a situation. Overall, taking time out of my day for my own self-care has helped make me a calmer, more consistent, and loving teacher.”  
--Rachel Powers is a bilingual 3rd grade teacher at Andersen United Community School and a Year 2 participant in Wellbeing in Service of Teaching and Learning (WiSTL) a Mindfulness in Education program at Andersen and Barton working in collaboration with the University of Minnesota’s Earl E. Bakken’s Center for Spirituality and Healing.  
 
Mindfulness of Breathing Lesson for Students:
After you’ve practiced the mindfulness for yourself try this mindful breathing lesson with your students.
 
Five-Pointed Star Breathing
Materials needed:  Draw or project a five-pointed star on a whiteboard and/or have students draw a large five-pointed star on paper.  When drawing the star use all the space on the paper, going to the outer edges so it’s big enough to trace with a finger.
 
Let’s start by noticing our breath.  Take 3 belly breaths with students.   Now, connecting with the rhythm of your breath we are going to trace the outline of a star.   Breathe in as we trace the first line of the star; breathe out as we trace the next line.   Continue to move your finger across the outline of the star with each breath in and out.   Keep your eyes on the star and feel your finger as you trace the star. When you get to the end of the last line of the star, you can start over and continue the star breathing again.  It is natural for the mind to wander, when it does gently come back to the breath and the awareness of the hand tracing the five-pointed star.
 
Class discussion:  "How might this activity be useful when you feel stressed or triggered by a strong emotion?" Students may suggest things like, "It helps me focus my attention and then I notice my body and mind calming down." The students may discover after a few days of practice that they can now do it mentally in their mind's eye without moving their finger.
“How do I feel right now?  Do I feel differently than I did when I started?”
“How is my breath?  What did I notice?”
 
Variation:  You can also do this without a star and simply use your hand.  Hold up your hand with all five fingers extended wide.  With your other hand start to trace each finger.  Breathing in while tracing up one side of a finger and breathing out while tracing down the other side of the same finger, then move on to the next finger.  Keep your eyes on your hand while tracing each finger, paying attention to what it feels like.  When you get to the last finger (thumb or pinky) go back and trace each finger again while breathing in and out.
 

Integrate the wisdom of art and meditation into this two-hour mandala making meditative healing arts experience. 
On the surface, we are creating beautiful circular art based on repetition and pattern.  However, the experience can go much deeper.  Mandala making can be a tool for deep inner contemplation and healing.  The mandala is a physical representation of our inner journey.

Sunday, November 5, 2017                             
3:30 PM to 5:30 PM

The Ivy Building
2637 27th Ave S
River's Way Meditation Center
Room 201
Minneapolis, MN 55406


Our class will begin with a short mindfulness centering activity with essential oils and a singing bowl.  We will create a judgment free space for exploration and creativity.   I will demonstrate the basic flow of mandala making and offer several symbols and designs to choose from for your own mandala.  The mandalas we make are free hand and spontaneous, so no need for rulers and compasses, however an occasional circular object to trace will be available. You will leave with a finished project and a sense of accomplishment. 

I invite you to bring your favorite verse, quote, poem or affirmation to write into your mandala or simply to hold in your awareness while drawing.

$25 includes materials.  Children are welcome if accompanied by an adult.  No previous art or meditation experience needed.
​
Follow the link for tickets:  http://bit.ly/2lbRPo0
Or Email Ann Viveros at annviveros@me.com

​Greetings Mindfulness Friends,
Super excited to share this with you!  
The University of Minnesota’s Center for Spirituality and Healing is presenting a Mindfulness in Education Summer Institute on June 28-30 at Webster School.   Stressors such as shrinking budgets, increased class sizes, teacher attrition and burnout combined with large numbers of students who have experienced trauma call attention to the pressing need for innovations that promote wellbeing in school communities. The Center for Spirituality and Healing’s Mindfulness in Education Summer Institute brings together researchers and educators for three days of professional learning and discussion on mindfulness research and research-informed practices to address the urgent needs in schools.  The summer institute is open to educators and education leaders regardless of experience with mindfulness.  We will be there sharing what we are doing at Andersen United.  It’d be great to see you there! 
Many of you will be on spring break next week.  May you find relaxation and happiness.  Here’s a short Ted Talk by Louie Schwartzberg about nature, beauty and gratitude to inspire you to explore, go deep and enjoy each day.   Be sure to listen at 3:33 and again at 4:44.  
In training,
Ann
 

Dear Mindfulness Friends, 
 
Welcome back to my Mindfulness Messages emails.
 
I am looking forward to sending out Mindful Messages as a way to continue to support our growing community of friends who like me are interested in nurturing mindfulness in our lives. My hope is that what I share will encourage and inspire you to continue the journey.  Please reply back once in awhile to let me know how what I am sharing has touched you. 
 
Mindfulness of breath is the first technique most mindfulness practitioners learn and it is the one that seasoned practitioners come back to time and time again.  Why is that?  Mindfulness of breath is something that is always available to us.  We don’t need an app, special gear or clothing in order to practice mindfulness of breathing.  It is something we can do when we are alone or when we are with people.  We can use it at our home, at work or in public; and no one even has to know that we are practicing. It is a technique that we can use anytime, anywhere.  However, since it is so fundamental it is important to cultivate the practice by intentionally creating space for it every day as a formal practice.  By practicing mindfulness of breath in a formal practice we are training our minds and bodies and we will be more likely to remember the technique at other times of day when we need it most.  
 
This 15 minutes guided breathing meditation encourages us to not be critical of ourselves when our mind wanders, just to simply come back to the breath.  “If you’re distracted the entire time and come back just once, that’s perfect.”
http://www.mindful.org/guided-breathing-meditation-cultivate-awareness/
 
I really like the last sentence in this guided meditation.  He says, “Pausing for a moment, decide how you’d like to continue with your day.”   It’s a good practice to make an intention after our formal practice. 
 
in training, 
Ann
 
 
**Past Mindful Messages can be found at http://www.annviveros.com/mindful-messages-blog
 
**If at any time you would like to be removed from these Mindfulness Messages emails please just let me know! 
 
**Do you know someone who would like to learn more about Mindfulness?  Forward them this information about a eCompass course:
Mindfulness 101: Understanding and Experiencing Mindfulness in Education 
Participants will learn about Mindfulness including Mindfulness in Education through an overview of the research, as well as, through experiential activities to explore mindfulness first hand. We will culminate with ideas on how to sustain a practice in our own lives and in our schools and classrooms. 
eCompass Course: 91395 
Facilitator: Jamie Edwards, Social Worker, Andersen United 
Alice Kos, Instructional Specialist, Andersen United 
Ann Viveros, ESL Lead Teacher, Andersen United 
Time and Location: Option 1 – Tuesday, November 15 from 4:30 – 6:30pm in Davis Center N1-051 
Option 2 – Wednesday, January 25 from 3:30 – 5:30 pm in Davis Center S1-433

Hello Mindfulness Friends, 

I just signed up for The Meditation Summit and wanted to share the information with you.10 Day Online Event to
Deepen and Expand Your Meditation Practice
with 30 of the World's Leading TeachersLearn with the world's most respected teachers from both sacred and secular traditions.I think there will be something for everyone, there are teachers from all traditions and sciences.   It started on June 14 and goes through June 23rd.  It is free to listen to each podcast the day of the podcast.  However, if you want to listen to them at a later date, then you'd have to pay for accessHere's the link.http://www.soundstrue.com/store/meditation-summit
Happy summer!  Let me know if you listen and what you learn.in training, Ann 
more info. from the websiteWelcome to the Meditation SummitBy now, you're probably well aware of the benefits of meditation. Science continues to provide us with more evidence of what the world's spiritual traditions have known for years: Meditation can positively impact every single area of our lives.
So why do so many of us struggle to make time for this powerful practice? Why do we so often wonder if we're doing it right? Or feel as if something more should be happening?
Perhaps you feel like you should be meditating, but you just get overwhelmed when it comes time to actually start. With so many different approaches available, how do you know which is right for you?
Or maybe you've been meditating on and off for years. You've experienced the benefits of meditation first hand, but your practice never seems to last. As life gets busier, your meditation practice seems to be the first piece to go—just when you need it the most.
Or perhaps you've had a committed practice for years. You recognize many of the wonderful benefits meditation has brought to your life, but you thought there would be more. Where is this “aha” moment that other people keep talking about? Why haven't you experienced the flashes of insight you were promised? How can you finally go deeper into your practice?
With so many entry points into the world of meditation and so many obstacles to practicing in our daily lives, it's no wonder many of us need more guidance and support in order to sustain and deepen our practice.
That's why we're bringing together 30 of the world's leading meditation teachers in one place.
Throughout the Meditation Summit, you'll have the opportunity to learn with the world's most respected teachers from both sacred and secular traditions. You'll be able to dive into the approaches that may work best for you, learn how to sustain a practice in your daily life, and explore the next steps for bringing more depth to your current practice.






 

Greetings Friends, 
 
Do you ever feel so busy that you feel like you don’t have time to do anything extra?  Does sitting in meditation feel like just one more thing to do?


There are so many reasons to practice mindfulness, but if you need one more to justify the time you spend sitting here's an article from the Harvard Business Review. It states that meditation makes you more productive because it increases your ability to resist giving in to distractions.  


“Research shows that an ability to resist urges will improve your relationships, increase your dependability, and raise your performance. If you can resist your urges, you can make better, more thoughtful decisions. You can be more intentional about what you say and how you say it. You can think about the outcome of your actions before following through on them.” HBR
 
Give it a try.  Get on your mindful bodies (straight back, both feet flat on the floor, hands on your lap). Set a timer, close your eyes and don’t move.  Pay attention to your breath; breathing in… breathing out. Notice when you have an urge to move.  Try to resist the temptation. Keep breathing in… and then breathing out.  When your mind gets distracted (which it will – that is what the mind does) just note that the mind was doing its thing and bring your attention back to your breath.  The more you practice the easier it will become.  Let me know if you notice a change.  


 
in training, 
Ann  
 
“You should sit in meditation for twenty minutes every day – unless you are too busy.  Then you should sit for an hour.”  Zen proverb

​May 3, 2016
 
Happy Happy Teacher Appreciation Day, (That goes to all of you whether it is your profession or not, we are all teachers!)
 
Today give yourself the gift of a guided body scan.   Jon Kabat-Zinn describes it as “A time totally set aside for you!  As an opportunity to be by yourself and with yourself fully.  See if you can allow it be a nourishing time, a time you deserve to give yourself some positive energy and attention.”
 
I particularly like to listen to a guided mindfulness body scan.  Listening to someone’s voice guide me through it keeps me focused.  To date, my favorite guided body scan comes from Elisha Goldstein.  I listen to his guided body scan on the Insight Timer app https://insighttimer.com/ which makes it readily assessable from my iPhone.  I like the sound of Elisha’s voice and to me it is soothing.  You may not agree, here are recordings by other mindfulness teachers such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, and Kristin Neff.  In addition there are several to choose from at this website: UC San Diego Health:  Center for Mindfulness
 
You can use the body scan any time, but I find I use it most often when my mind is ruminating on one particular thing and the mind just won’t let it go.  The times when thoughts keep me awake at night or when there’s nothing I can do but wait, like for example when I in the hospital waiting room while my brother was in surgery.   Practicing it for relaxation is a great way to learn how to do it, then when you are in a stressful situation you will be able to draw upon it easily.
 
You can also learn to do it without a guided recording.
Here’s a script adapted from Mindful Schools.
 
The Mindfulness Body Scan
 
This is a time totally set aside for yourself, and to be with yourself. A time for renewal, rest and healing. A time to nourish your health and wellbeing. Remember that mindfulness is about being with things as they are, moment to moment, as they unfold in the present. So, let go of ideas about self-improvement and personal development.
 
Let go of your tendency for wanting things to be different from how they are, and allow them to be as they are. Give yourself the space to be as you are. You don’t even need to try to relax. Relaxation may happen or it may not. Relaxation isn’t the aim of the body scan. If anything, the aim is to be aware of your experience, whatever it may be.
 
          • Lie down on your bed or a mat with your arms by your sides, palms facing up, and legs gently apart.
          • Begin by feeling the weight of your body on the mat, bed or chair.
          • Become aware of the sensations of your breath.
 
You may feel the breath going in and out of your nostrils, or passing through the back of your throat, or feel the chest or belly rising and falling. Be aware of your breath wherever it feels most predominant and comfortable for you. Continue for a few minutes.
 
          • When you’re ready, move your awareness down the left leg, past the knee and ankle and right down into the big toe of your left foot.
 
Notice the sensations in your big toe with a sense of curiosity. Is it warm or cold? Now expand your awareness to your little toe, then all the toes in-between. What do they feel like? If you can’t feel any sensation, that’s okay.
 
          • As you breathe, imagine the breath going down your body and into your toes.
 
As you breathe out, imagine the breath going back up your body and out of your nose. Use this strategy of breathing into and out of each part to which you’re paying attention.
 
          • Expand your awareness to the sole of your foot.
 
Focus on the ball and heel of the foot. The weight of the heel. The sides and upper part of the foot. The ankle. Breathe into the whole of the left foot. Then, when you’re ready, let go of the left foot.
 
          • Repeat this process of gentle, kind, curious accepting awareness with the lower part of the left leg, the knee and the upper part of the left leg.
• Notice how your left leg may now feel different to your right leg.
• Gently shift your awareness around and down the right leg, to the toes in your right foot.
 
Move your awareness up the right leg in the same way as before. Then let it go.
 
          • Become aware of your pelvis, hips, and buttocks.
 
Breathe into them and imagine you’re filling them with nourishing oxygen.
 
          • Move up to the lower torso, the lower abdomen and lower back.
 
Notice the movement of the lower abdomen as you breathe in and out. Notice any emotions you feel here. See if you can explore and accept your feelings as they are.
 
          • Bring your attention to your chest and upper back.
 
Feel your rib cage rising and falling as you breathe in and out. Be mindful of your heart beating if you can. Be grateful that all these vital organs are currently functioning to keep you alive and conscious. Be mindful of any emotions arising from your heart area. Allow space for your emotions to express themselves.
 
          • Go to both arms together, beginning with the fingertips and moving up to the shoulders.
 
Breathe into and out of each body part before you move to the next one, if that feels helpful.
 
          • Focus on your neck.
 
Then move your mindful attention to your jaw, noticing if it’s clenched. Feel your lips, inside your mouth, your cheeks, your nose, your eyelids and eyes, your temples, your forehead and checking if it’s frowning, your eyes, the back of your head, and finally the top of your head. Take your time to be with each part of your head in a mindful way.
 
          • Imagine a space in the top of your head and soles of your feet.
 
Imagine your breath sweeping up and down your body as you breathe in and out. Feel the breath sweeping up and down your body, and get a sense of each cell in your body being nourished with energy and oxygen. Continue this for a few minutes.
 
          • Now let go of all effort to practice mindfulness.
 
Get a sense of your whole body. Feel yourself as complete, just as you are. Remember this sense of being is always available to you when you need it. Rest in this stillness.
 
          • Acknowledge the time you’ve taken to nourish your body and mind. Come out of this meditation gently.
 
Endeavor to bring this mindful awareness to whatever activity you engage in next.
 
 
Let me know if you use it and how it goes!
In training,
Ann
 

​May 3, 2016
 
Happy Happy Teacher Appreciation Day, (That goes to all of you whether it is your profession or not, we are all teachers!)
 
Today give yourself the gift of a guided body scan.   Jon Kabat-Zinn describes it as “A time totally set aside for you!  As an opportunity to be by yourself and with yourself fully.  See if you can allow it be a nourishing time, a time you deserve to give yourself some positive energy and attention.”
 
I particularly like to listen to a guided mindfulness body scan.  Listening to someone’s voice guide me through it keeps me focused.  To date, my favorite guided body scan comes from Elisha Goldstein.  I listen to his guided body scan on the Insight Timer app https://insighttimer.com/ which makes it readily assessable from my iPhone.  I like the sound of Elisha’s voice and to me it is soothing.  You may not agree, here are recordings by other mindfulness teachers such as Jon Kabat-Zinn, Sharon Salzberg, and Kristin Neff.  In addition there are several to choose from at this website: UC San Diego Health:  Center for Mindfulness
 
You can use the body scan any time, but I find I use it most often when my mind is ruminating on one particular thing and the mind just won’t let it go.  The times when thoughts keep me awake at night or when there’s nothing I can do but wait, like for example when I in the hospital waiting room while my brother was in surgery.   Practicing it for relaxation is a great way to learn how to do it, then when you are in a stressful situation you will be able to draw upon it easily.
 
You can also learn to do it without a guided recording.
Here’s a script adapted from Mindful Schools.
 
The Mindfulness Body Scan
 
This is a time totally set aside for yourself, and to be with yourself. A time for renewal, rest and healing. A time to nourish your health and wellbeing. Remember that mindfulness is about being with things as they are, moment to moment, as they unfold in the present. So, let go of ideas about self-improvement and personal development.
 
Let go of your tendency for wanting things to be different from how they are, and allow them to be as they are. Give yourself the space to be as you are. You don’t even need to try to relax. Relaxation may happen or it may not. Relaxation isn’t the aim of the body scan. If anything, the aim is to be aware of your experience, whatever it may be.
 
          • Lie down on your bed or a mat with your arms by your sides, palms facing up, and legs gently apart.
          • Begin by feeling the weight of your body on the mat, bed or chair.
          • Become aware of the sensations of your breath.
 
You may feel the breath going in and out of your nostrils, or passing through the back of your throat, or feel the chest or belly rising and falling. Be aware of your breath wherever it feels most predominant and comfortable for you. Continue for a few minutes.
 
          • When you’re ready, move your awareness down the left leg, past the knee and ankle and right down into the big toe of your left foot.
 
Notice the sensations in your big toe with a sense of curiosity. Is it warm or cold? Now expand your awareness to your little toe, then all the toes in-between. What do they feel like? If you can’t feel any sensation, that’s okay.
 
          • As you breathe, imagine the breath going down your body and into your toes.
 
As you breathe out, imagine the breath going back up your body and out of your nose. Use this strategy of breathing into and out of each part to which you’re paying attention.
 
          • Expand your awareness to the sole of your foot.
 
Focus on the ball and heel of the foot. The weight of the heel. The sides and upper part of the foot. The ankle. Breathe into the whole of the left foot. Then, when you’re ready, let go of the left foot.
 
          • Repeat this process of gentle, kind, curious accepting awareness with the lower part of the left leg, the knee and the upper part of the left leg.
• Notice how your left leg may now feel different to your right leg.
• Gently shift your awareness around and down the right leg, to the toes in your right foot.
 
Move your awareness up the right leg in the same way as before. Then let it go.
 
          • Become aware of your pelvis, hips, and buttocks.
 
Breathe into them and imagine you’re filling them with nourishing oxygen.
 
          • Move up to the lower torso, the lower abdomen and lower back.
 
Notice the movement of the lower abdomen as you breathe in and out. Notice any emotions you feel here. See if you can explore and accept your feelings as they are.
 
          • Bring your attention to your chest and upper back.
 
Feel your rib cage rising and falling as you breathe in and out. Be mindful of your heart beating if you can. Be grateful that all these vital organs are currently functioning to keep you alive and conscious. Be mindful of any emotions arising from your heart area. Allow space for your emotions to express themselves.
 
          • Go to both arms together, beginning with the fingertips and moving up to the shoulders.
 
Breathe into and out of each body part before you move to the next one, if that feels helpful.
 
          • Focus on your neck.
 
Then move your mindful attention to your jaw, noticing if it’s clenched. Feel your lips, inside your mouth, your cheeks, your nose, your eyelids and eyes, your temples, your forehead and checking if it’s frowning, your eyes, the back of your head, and finally the top of your head. Take your time to be with each part of your head in a mindful way.
 
          • Imagine a space in the top of your head and soles of your feet.
 
Imagine your breath sweeping up and down your body as you breathe in and out. Feel the breath sweeping up and down your body, and get a sense of each cell in your body being nourished with energy and oxygen. Continue this for a few minutes.
 
          • Now let go of all effort to practice mindfulness.
 
Get a sense of your whole body. Feel yourself as complete, just as you are. Remember this sense of being is always available to you when you need it. Rest in this stillness.
 
          • Acknowledge the time you’ve taken to nourish your body and mind. Come out of this meditation gently.
 
Endeavor to bring this mindful awareness to whatever activity you engage in next.
 
 
Let me know if you use it and how it goes!
In training,
Ann

​Happy Mindful Mondays!  
 
Self-Compassion guru Kristin Neff was in Minneapolis on April 6th for a workshop on Self-Compassion and Emotional Resilience.  I wasn’t able to attend so I asked Madia Barber, Social Emotional Learning Facilitator at MPS to share her experience with us for this week’s Mindfulness Message.  
 
“The Kristen Neff seminar was phenomenal. I am so grateful I was able to attend! Neff beautifully explained the three components of self-compassion: self-kindness vs. self-judgement; common humanity vs. isolation; and mindfulness vs. over-identification. 

Self-Kindness vs. Self-Judgement:
- Treating self with care and understanding rather than harsh judgement
- Actively soothing and comforting oneself

Common Humanity vs. Isolation:
- Seeing own experience as part of larger human experience not isolating or abnormal
- Recognizing that life is imperfect

Mindfulness vs. Over-identification:
- Allows us to “be” with painful feelings as they are
- Avoids extremes of suppressing or running away with painful feelings

I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar, but I found myself struggling to understand the difference between self-compassion and mindfulness. They are strongly linked, but Neff explains the difference:

Mindfulness vs. Self-Compassion
- Mindfulness accepts painful experience without resistance, “being” with things as they are
- Compassion wishes the experiencer to be free from suffering, “active” comfort and soothing

In the end, I walked away knowing that I definitely want to read her book and that mindfulness and self-compassion are strongly connected.”
 
(Surbhi) Madia Barber
Minneapolis Public Schools
Social Emotional Learning Facilitator 
 
Madia just sent me the attached flyer about this class on Wednesday!  How timely!
Educator Self Care and Sustainability: From Surviving To Thriving
Wednesday, April 20th from 4:30pm-7:30pm at the Davis Center Assembly Room
eCompass Course # 91421
 
Learn more about Kristin Neff:
The Three Elements of Self Compassion
 
Kristin Neff's Guided Meditations
 
Test how self-compassionate you are
 
 
Much gratitude to Madia for her collaboration and contribution to today’s Mindful Message!
 
In training, 
Ann 

​Happy Mindful Tuesday,

This week’s reminder is about the importance of making mindfulness a daily practice. 

A simple mindful practice is mindful breathing.  It is simple in that you don’t need any special equipment, all you need is your awareness and your breath.  One way to begin is to literally schedule mindful breathing into your day.  Start by making appointments with yourself.  Write it in your date book, your daily planner or your online calendar.  You can even set your phone to give you a 5 minutes heads-up that your appointment is about to begin.   
​
Another strategy for creating a daily mindfulness practice is to connect it to something else that you are already doing, such as getting in or out of your car.  When you get in or right before you get out, just pause for a few minutes following your breath.  You can also make it a habit to practice mindful breathing while waiting for appointments. Another great time is right before you go to sleep or before you get out of bed in the morning, just sit on the side of your bed and bring your attention to the breath. 

Simply set the intention and then hold yourself to your commitment.  There is no appointment more important than this one to recharge, reconnect and recenter.  You can start small with just a minute several times a day.  In no time  you will see the benefit of your efforts and you may find yourself looking forward to these mindful moments.
Here’s the article that inspired me this week.

A 5-Minute Breathing Meditation To Cultivate Mindfulness  by The Greater Good Science Center

in training,
Ann