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Relaxation #4: Counting Meditation
Take Ten Minutes to Relax!
Dr. Kathy McGuire, Director Week Three |
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| From Creative Edge Focusing: This month's Relaxation Exercise : COUNTING MEDITATION
Week Three ---"Ahhhhh....pause with me for ten minutes....and just relax!!! I will send a relaxation exercise each week as a reminder to pause...
Some people find it easy to drop all their stress and enter into an interior Focusing space. But, many people need easy first steps of practice for "going quietly inside." And even experienced Focusers get caught up in stress and business and welcome a reminder to take a moment to....pause.....(sigh!)...pay attention to their breathing.......(ahhhhhh!)......and...relax.
Learning to relax and "clear a space" inside is the first step of longer Intuitive Focusing problem solving sessions. And, simple relaxation exercises also give your body some moments of stress reduction and tension release, healing in and of itself. |
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Are You Pausing to Actually Do the Exercise? Are You Taking Just Ten Minutes To Relax?
After thirty years working with Relaxation and Focusing, I am still delighted to be given a reminder to actually pause and practice what I preach! I hope you can welcome yourself to take the ten-twenty minutes to just relax, reducing stress, "clearing a space inside," increasing mental clarity and probably prolonging your life as well!
The quiet time between instructions is an important time for just breathing---and relaxing.
You can lie on the floor or, for most exercises, sit in a chair. If you fall asleep, it's okay! Means you need more rest! But you may also want to practice sitting up to avoid sleeping.
Especially at the beginning, time those "1 minute" pauses and enjoy relaxing in the imagery. You will be amazed at how long a minute is, how seldom we ever pause for a whole minute!!!
Any of the Relaxation Exercises can be used at the beginning of a longer Focusing session, as a way of "clearing a space" inside, so notice which are your favorites you could call upon. |
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COUNTING MEDITATION
Our first Relaxation exercise #1 was Noticing. Then, in exercise #2 we did Guided Imagery At The Beach, then exercise #3, Guided Imagery in The Forest. Now, with Exercise #4 (p. 6 in the Free Download Complete Focusing Instructions), we go back to a meditation more like Noticing:
Counting Meditation-Allow 10-15 minutes
Here is a simple form of meditation, a way of quieting your mind from its continuous racing---You will learn to discipline yourself to pay attention to counting and breathing, setting aside any thoughts that distract you.
This is not as simple as it sounds! Time and again, you will find that you have forgotten about counting and breathing and allowed your mind to return to its habitual ways of worrying. But the learning is in the trying. If you drift away, simply notice this and return to counting and breathing.
---Lie down or sit down and make yourself comfortable---loosen any clothing that is too tight---
1 minute
---Stretch---and relax---stretch---and relax---stretch---and relax---10 seconds
---Begin by simply notice your breathing---do not try to force it---just notice the breath going in---and out---in---and out---in---and out---10 seconds
---Now, you are going to count from one to seven along with your breathing. Count each time you exhale. So, inhale, then, as you exhale, count "1" to yourself---inhale, and, as you exhale, count "2"---inhale, and, as you exhale, count "3"---and so on, until you reach "7".
30 seconds
---When you reach "7," just start over again, with inhale, then count "1" on the exhale--- and continue up to "7."
30 seconds
---You will find again and again that you have lost track of your counting and drifted off into random thoughts. Don't punish yourself or get upset with yourself. Just notice and return to watching your breathing, and counting.
1 minute
--- Continue repeating as long as you wish, noticing when your thoughts stray and just bringing yourself gently back to counting, from "1" to "7", over and again---
5-10 minutes
---And, when you are, ready, slowly come back into the room.
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Anyone Can Always Access the e-Archive
At the Creative Edge Focusing website, Free Resources section, in the submenu, right sidebar.
Use Creative Edge Practice E-Group for Support of Practicing!
The Creative Edge Practice E-Support Group has been created to offer maximum safety for sharing your experiences with relaxation, felt sensing, and Focusing and for trying out the Focused Listening skill in responding to someone else.
Clicking on the name will go to full description of the group on Yahoo homepage. You can join there or by emailing as below. You can choose between "Email Only" membership, which does not require creating a Yahoo ID (free account) or "Join" which uses your Yahoo ID to give you access to the full benefits of membership through the yahoo website, including access to the archives, photo and article uploading, listing of members, etc.:
Creative Edge Practice, now "closed" in order to offer more safety and security for the vulnerability of sharing Focusing experiences and practicing offering Listening response. Only requirement: a willingness to have your name listed and to introduce yourself upon entry into the group. Other than that, you can jump in or learn by observing, whatever works for you.
You can join from the homepage or by sending an email and putting Subscribe in the Subject Heading.
Creative Edge Collaborators is a separate, open group specifically for discussion and networking around projects involving spreading listening/focusing to audiences throughout the world. All you do is join from the homepage or send an email with Subscribe in the Subject Heading. |
Print and Practice!!!!! Counting Meditation
Here is your relaxation exercise for this month. Print it out, keep it handy, and take those few moments to relax every day, if you can, or as often as possible. Or, you can just open this weekly reminder and walk through the exercise online. Relaxing is one way to "clear a space" inside for a longer-term Focusing Problem Solving session.
You will also find this in the Complete Focusing Instructions download at Creative Edge Focusing, p.6: Pre-Focusing Practice A. Relaxation Suggestions #4: Counting Meditation. You get it by joining our e-support group for further support in practicing Listening and Focusing.
And, if you order our Self-Help Package, also in the sidebar icons of our website, you can listen on audio CD Intuitive Focusing: Disk one, Track 5, with Dr, McGuire's peaceful voice to keep you company -- and help you stay on track!! |
Disclaimer:Creative Edge e-newsletters are offered purely as self-help skills. In providing them, Dr. McGuire is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a competent professional should be sought. | |
| About Creative Edge Focusing
Located by Beaver Lake in Rogers, AR, our goal is to support people in the practice of listening/focusing skills, throughout the world, and for personal growth, interpersonal conflict resolution, and creative individual and group problem solving.
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| Creative Edge Focusing (TM)
Dr. Kathy McGuire
Director | |
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