Refresh yourself with simple
tune-ups anywhere, anytime!

By Wendy Wiseman

Wendy Wiseman offers Thai Massage with Yoga and offers Thai Massage certification through the Lotus Palm School and also offers Wizard of Change Wellness Healing.

Although awareness, mindfulness and relaxation are really quite simple, not one comes easily. It's a stress filled world we live in and we have loads of information to process all the time. Seize the moments in between!

There are many quick and easy practices you can do most anytime most any place with no props or preparations. These are just a few tips for creating relaxing meditative moments in the bits of time you find or create. Tune-in for a brief tune-up that can give you a major boost with one of the following:

When you find you have a spare moment or if you need a shift in attitude take a minute or two to turn your attention within. Find a comfortable sitting, standing, or reclining position. You don't need a special chair or cushion. Avoid the resistance and work with whatever you have wherever you are be it a park bench, bus seat, or bit of ground. Close your eyes and take a nice easy deep breath. Release all thoughts and focus on the sensations breathing brings. Feel the acceptance as the breath brings air within and moves energy throughout your body. Sense the letting go as the breath releases, relaxing and removing what the body no longer needs. Accept, and Let Go. After three or more breaths begin to ease your eyes open again, returning. Sense the freshness. It's a new moment, it's a new world!

Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you can send a bit of attention within. Walking, standing, sitting, driving, running, riding, working, eating, or doing dishes. Anytime you don't need total focus on the task at hand you can split a bit of your mind away from what it's doing to do a body scan. Try it right this moment as you read. Without judgement simply scan your physical state as an observer. How is your alignment? Do you have excess tension anywhere? Send your attention scanning your whole body. Don't forget fingertips and toes, between the eyebrows, your jaw, scalp, tip of the nose, skin surface or deep within- How do you feel? What state are you in? Remember not to judge or label, no chiding or deriding. Simply observe. Sense the minute adjustments that ripple through due to the simple presence of attention. The impact of awareness! Practice being more in the moment whatever you are doing by simply scanning with non-judgemental awareness.

Refresh yourself with these simple exercises or any such variations you might find you might find and enjoy. It's easy to give yourself a boost from time to time. To help students in their mindfulness practice, Sogyal Rinpoche created this helpful slogan: "Remember to remember, when you remember."