Texting while driving has killed thousands in the US and states have passed legislation to outlaw, “distracted driving.”

I’m trying to reduce my own tendencies of “distracted living.” Although it’s not as deadly as distracted driving, distracted living can have negative consequences leading us to seek instant gratification instead of spiritual truths and causing us to miss out on what’s happening in the present moment.

Society has programmed us to live this way: we’re bombarded by hundreds of advertisements each day, we spend countless hours sitting behind computer screens, and we communicate with each other instantaneously via electronic devices.

On a typical weekday, a five minute snapshot of my morning looks something like this: a pop+up advertisement window to an interesting article, a text message from a friend, a business idea comes to me, a random thought about the past surfaces…. I’ve been struggling to focus on the present moment.

It’s a challenge and a goal for me to “Be here now” in whatever I’m doing and I often find my mind wandering. How can we slow down our “monkey minds” to increase stillness? Here are a few practices to help avoid distracted living and to incorporate mindfulness.

1. Turn the phone off

One of the best parts about traveling is being disconnected from the world and not having a phone. Instead of playing a meaningless iPhone game or having a trivial text message conversation, turn the phone off for an extended period of time. (a day, a weekend, day I say a week?)

Here’s a post w/ tips to reduce cell phone dependence

2. Go for a walk

When I’ve been sitting at the computer for too long, I’ll drop everything and go for a walk. Walking outside in nature is preferred but even a walk around a building inside can help you become more attuned with the present moment. Even if it’s only a 5 minute walk, it can change the complexion of your day.

3. Read a book

Whether it’s fiction or none, reading will help anxiety subside and help you become more present.

Photo of me reading at the beach, courtesy of Danielle Lussier:

4. Exercise

Exercise releases endorphins, increases blood flow, and helps us focus on the present moment.

5. Get in nature

No phone, no technology. Just you and the natural environment. You’ll notice all sorts of life forms around you and be inspired by nature’s inherent beauty.

“There is nothing quite like immersion in Nature to restore a sense of wholeness to the soul.” ~Tim Miller

6. Meditate

I have a friend who meditates in several short bursts throughout the day while he’s at work. He’ll turn his back from the computer and focus deeply on the present moment for short spans of time (30 seconds, 1 minute.) He says it helps him to be more aware and creative throughout the day.

A Short and East Meditation for Beginners

Great tips on how to create a relaxing home meditation space: here.

7. Do a few yoga postures

It’s wild how doing two or three yoga postures can drastically change your day. Instead of reacting to external stimuli all day, you’re able to move the prana (energy) and blood throughout your body. Your spine and chakras become realigned and you start to feel alive 🙂

A one minute standing forward bend will drastically improve your day by sending prana to your brain, stretching your hamstrings, and activating your spine thus decreasing anxiety and calming the mind.

8. Turn the TV off

There are some people who literally cannot sleep without the TV on (I used to be one of them.) How can one listen to what’s going on within their own body if they’re always being bombarded with external stimuli such as TV and cell phone messages?

9. Breathe

Not the automated breathing that we use 99% of the time. Instead, the yogic, ujjayi breathing that steadies the mind. It’s incredible what 3 deep, even, focused inhales and exhales through the nose can do.

Click here for more tips on how to feel alive naturally.

What are other tips to be more aware of the present moment and to reduce distracted living?

“Music is the silence between the notes.” ~ Claude Debussy

Hello friends,

I hope you’re having a beautiful weekend. I’ve been back home in Toronto for the last two weeks for a little rest and quality time with family before I head out again for an exciting and action-packed few months of living the dream.

I’ve been loving spending time with family and friends. There’s only one problem: I’ve forgotten how to rest.

Sure, I can sleep like a baby for long stretches of time and I’m a professional nap taker but even when I’m emerging from the most cozy slumber, I’ve noticed the constant presence of a feeling of guilt and a low-level mental noise that seems to be saying there’s something I should be doing.

It’s as if I’ve lost the ability to pause and allow myself to take a break from the constant striving, aspiring, creating and growing. In some senses, I’ve been seeing that this tendency is heightened by the entrepreneurial nature of what I do. If I’m not chugging along, the locomotive stops, or so the voice in my head would have me believe. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the life I’m living and all the freedom and self-accountability that comes with it but sometimes, this is the one aspect of 9 to 5 living that I envy. There’s a definite end to the workday and there are specific times of the year for vacation designed for a break. Of course, this doesn’t guarantee that the time will be used for actual rest and that’s ultimately the realization I’ve been coming to.

On one level, rest is definitely about sleep, and taking care of our bodies. How often do we push ourselves beyond our body’s ability to heal and restore itself and find ourselves forced into bed by an untimely cold or injury? And at the same time, true rest is so much more than just physical nurture. It’s about resting our heads, quieting our minds, being still and allowing ourselves to just be, to do nothing, to listen and to replenish our spiritual energy.

And whether you’re a 9 to 5′er, an entrepreneur, an artist or a stay at home parent, this is a great challenge for all of us in these fast-moving times. Especially when we are passionate, inspired and driven towards a vision or outcome. And yet, there is a balance to be struck. Between movement and stillness, between creative output and “filling the well” with inspiring experiences (J. Cameron), between doing and being, between action and rest.

In music, a rest is an interval of silence, a pause between notes. Without this space, music would be very difficult to listen to because it would just be one, long, continuous sound. It is the space, the silence between the notes, that makes the piece of art we call music perceptible to our ears.

Similarly, it is in the space between constant activity, both within and out there in the world, that we can truly listen to our heart’s desires, to our soul’s whispers, and to Divine guidance. When we take the time to rest and tune in, to restore ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually, we can then return to action with renewed clarity, precision and enthusiasm.

This essential balance between grounded action and true rest applies to all facets of life. In our pursuit of our calling and our grandest aspirations, it is equally important to take time to acknowledge where we are and what we have as it is to push forward towards our desired destination. In relationships, it’s all about connecting deeply, with our hearts open and ready to give love and yet without time apart, and time to nurture the individual, we would not be able to come together with an overflowing cup from which to give. And in any process of expansion or growth, whether it’s training our bodies at the gym or on the yoga mat, our mind in the classroom or our spiritual core with a mindfulness practice, there is always the balance between the time spent doing and the time spent assimilating and integrating the benefits of our practice.

When we honor this balance, life, love, creativity and wellness flow naturally and and with a greater sense of ease.

To help remind myself what it means to truly rest, I’ve been using the following definition of “REST”.

R.E.S.T. = Relax, Enjoy, Surrender, & Trust.

Relax: allow yourself time to do nothing and just be.

Enjoy: celebrate and give gratitude for all that you are and all that you have. Smile, laugh, dance, sing and play!

Surrender: let go and let the Divine plan of goodness for you and your life unfold in perfect timing. It’s all happening!

Trust: all is well. You’re alive and your heart is beating. You’re accounted for and you will be provided for.

Wishing you a peaceful and REST-full day.

Much love,

CA

Via Chris Assad and The Daily Love  

Mountain Pose and Meditation for Beginners

Mountain pose is great for meditation for beginngers. Mountain pose, one of my “go+to” meditations, is a standing barefoot yoga pose. It is also known as Tadasana in the Sanskrit language.

I love this meditation because it’s great for beginners and advanced meditators. It’s accessible every day.

image courtesy of healthylivinglounge

How/Why Mountain Pose works as a Meditation for Beginners

If you’re outside, stand barefoot, close your eyes, inhale deeply and exhale deeply. Being barefoot or “earthing” has enormous benefits in itself, as we touched on in this post.

Place your hands by your side and face your palms forward. Relax your fingers. Placing your hands this way allows you to feel the energy (prana) flowing in your fingers and fingertips.

Make sure your big toes are touching and squeeze your shoulder blades together. This will straighten your spine, allowing energy to flow. Your chakras, especially the heart chakra will open.

Remember to exhale through your nose, using Ujjai breath. The inhale and exhale are longer than your usual non+voluntary breaths throughout the day. The inhale and exhale are even in length, strong, steady, and consistent. Your tongue is relaxed, not pressed up against the roof of your mouth.

Next Steps in Mountain Pose

Notice the difference of each intentional deep breath compared to your involuntary breathing. Notice what’s going on inside your body and mind. For me, sometimes 3 or 4 of my upper vertebrae crack on my first few deep inhales from taking in more oxygen and increasing lung capacity.

Focus your attention on the present moment. If and when your mind begins to wander, don’t become angry. Instead, gently bring your awareness back to the present moment.

With your palms facing forward and your feet in union with the ground, you will feel the energy pulsating in your fingertips and other body parts. Become keenly aware of your surroundings. The subtle breeze. The sounds of insects and birds. The smell of late summer. Take it all in and enjoy this escape from the “monkey mind syndrome” of jumping from thought to thought.

But I work a desk job, I can’t be barefoot outside

If you can’t be outdoors, you can still practice this meditation. Take off your shoes (it is important to remove barriers between you and the earth so you can more easily connect) and begin the meditation.

This is a great meditation for those with desk jobs. Even if it’s just for 2 minutes, this meditation will center you and help you connect to God or the universe.

What are some other meditation for beginners methods?

~Stay Lucid

I have been working with a company that works with a firm called DELOS over the last few weeks.

DELOS is an awesome company that is being led by Dr. Deepak Chopra, among others.

I love the idea of the company – helping people understand and effectively place wellness elements into their lifestyle.

Whether its diet, air, water, light, or food intake, we can all get healthier and more efficient. DELOS, among many other practitioners out there, is helping lead the way as a national brand and face of the wellness movement.

Today, TIME, did a really nice write up on the company. Check it out —— here.

Some excerpts from the piece:

“Delos, recently partnered with Columbia University Medical Center to conduct a four-year review of 4,000 scientific studies relating to health and the environment, including building technologies. Their findings are now part of a database that helps builders create spaces that are more health- and wellness-friendly.”

“Here’s how it works. The data that the team of medical experts, policymakers and designers developed comprise a new certification standard that Delos calls WELL. To meet the WELL Building Standard, spaces must contribute to a person’s well being by providing, among other amenities, filtered or purified air and water, as well as adequate opportunities for fitness, and even psychological comfort and nourishment in the form of proper lighting to balance mood and reduce stress.”

How and Why We Should Save the Bee Population

Without bees, our society would be completely different. An astounding 71% of the hundred crops that provide nine-tenths of the world’s food are pollinated by bees. Bees enable plants to bear fruits and vegetables. Without bees, some fruits and veggies would not be accessible, and we wouldn’t be able to feed livestock effectively.

Bees also provide us with honey and bee pollen, two resources that are incredibly useful when consumed. Sadly, the average jar of honey you see in the local grocery store has been destroyed by pasteurization methods. It is essentially junk food disguised as health food. But, raw local honey is a superfood loaded with antioxidants, enzymes and vitamins.

Benefits of raw local honey:

Decreased pollen related allergies 

Bees collect nectar from the very plants that are making you stuffy and irritated. By eating a spoonful of raw local honey, you’re introducing pollen to the body, thus gradually building up the body’s tolerance to seasonal allergies. Begin consuming raw local honey two months before allergy season for best results.

Improved immune system

Raw local honey is loaded with anti+fungal and anti+viral properties.

Better sleep

Ingesting raw local honey raises our insulin slightly and allows tryptophan to enter our brains more easily. Eat a spoonful of honey when feeling anxious or when having trouble sleeping.

Bee pollen: the healthiest food you’ve never heard of?

Researchers in Russia found: “Honeybee pollen is the richest source of vitamins found in Nature in a single food. Even if bee pollen had none of its other vital ingredients, its content of rutin alone would justify taking at least a teaspoon daily, if for no other reason than strengthening the capillaries. Pollen is extremely rich in rutin and may have the highest content of any source, plus it provides a high content of the nucleics RNA [ribonucleic acid] and DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid].”

Here are the benefits of ingesting bee pollen:

• Inhibits the development of harmful bacteria
• Decreases inflammation in the body
• Increases ovarian function
• Rich in protein (more+so than cow, pig, chicken or any animal source!)
• Good source of amino acids
• Increases the body’s white blood cells (essential for defending against viruses and diseased cells)

What’s happening to the bees?

In recent years, an alarming trend has begun. Bees are dying off in record numbers (we’re talking millions). Just two months ago, 50,000 bees died in a parking lot in Oregon. The phenomenon known as CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) has not yet fully been explained but The New Yorker does a great job of laying out the issues in this article. Some of the possible culprits:

• Genetically Modified Organisms
• A type of pesticide called neonicotinoids

A nation scared of bees

I remember being younger and being paranoid of being stung. I would be antsy and upset whenever I saw a swarm of bees. It seems today as though we as a nation take the same approach. We’re very quick to kill bees and we dismiss them as nothing more than a nuisance. Knowing how important bees are to our lives, it seems to be in our best interest to take the opposite approach and start protecting and cherishing bees.

Interestingly, while 15% of the population says they’re allergic to bees, tests have shown that the number is closer to 1%. Can we change these damaging perceptions?

What can we do to save the bee population?

I used to swat bees and kill them without thinking twice. Now, I’m grateful for bees and I’m in awe of nature’s process each time I see one of them pollinate a flower in our garden. What’s the reason for the difference in radically changing my approach? Education.

Education

I simply didn’t realize how important bees are. Education is the key to changing behavior.

It’s paramount that we educate people on the importance of bees. But, how to educate? For one, start by sharing this article with a friend or your network.

Next time you see one of your friends try to swat a bee, bring up the points made in this post and explain their importance.

Purchases bee boxes

Bee boxes are homes for bees to create hives in. Purchase bee boxes and place them in the outdoors so bees can flourish. Your garden will also benefit from the increase in pollinators.

eBay auction for a terrific bee box

Eliminate usage of harmful pesticides.

They’re bad for you, bad for the soil, and bad for the bees.

Grow plants that bees like. 

The more bee friendly plants there are, the more bees there will be. 🙂

Melissa has a great list of plants honey bees like here.

Bees not only provide us with incredible health food products such as raw local honey and bee pollen, but they also pollinate an enormous amount of our crops. Recent estimates state that bees contribute more than $200 billion to the global economy. Bees are mysteriously dying off and no one seems to know about it. There are actions we can take and it starts with being informed and educating. For more information, watch (free on Netflix):

The Vanishing of the Bees

~Stay lucid

1. Eat at a table.

Ahh, the Western productivity obsession.

A desk at work does not count as a table. Nor does your car on the way to work. Scarfing down a sandwich while staring at a computer screen or racing through traffic ~ these are not lucid practices.

We’ve become so accustomed to multi+tasking that we unknowingly ditch mindful practices (such as eating) for the sake of productivity.

Keeping in mind the effects that meditation has on the brain, you’ll likely be more productive after a break from the computer and a mindful meal. Your brain will thank you for giving it a rest from the task at hand and you will have spurred creativity by engaging in a lucid lunch.

2. Pray before each meal.

It doesn’t matter if you’re Christian, Buddhist, Jewish, atheist, etc. The fact that you have a meal in front of you demonstrates how fortunate you are. By praying, you acknowledge your gratitude and center your focus on the food you’re about to eat.

3. Chew for presence and health. Can mindful eating save lives?

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most deadly diseases and it has been linked to not fully chewing food.

I recently read Living Buddha, Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh and in it he explained that monks usually eat in silence and chew each bite 100 times in order to appreciate their food and aid in digestion. We’re not suggesting that you go from thoughtless eating to monastic eating overnight, but it’s helpful to see just how devoted some practitioners are.

4. Eat food you’ve caught, grown, or hunted.

If you’ve ever eaten food from your own garden or from a friend’s garden, you can tell the difference. The average Western consumer has become so divorced with the source of their food, most of the time having no idea where or how their food was grown, caught, or killed (yes, if you eat meat or fish, the animal was killed.)

If you grow your own food, you have a better appreciation about the process of nurturing a crop. You’re likely to appreciate and be more present when eating something you’ve grown. Plus, if you grow your own food, you know that you’re not ingesting harsh toxins and pesticides whereas with store bought food, it’s anybody’s guess.

One of my favorite parts about eating in China was that the whole body of the animal was cooked and brought to us for each meal. Often times, we saw the live animal right before we ate it. This practice gives you a connection with the animal instead of the dehumanization that big poultry companies in the West adhere to.

An image of a delicious chicken dish Brian and I ate in a small village in Longsheng, China. Notice, the head and feet are in the dish, reminding us, “Yes, this is a real animal.”

It’s almost as if big poultry companies say, “Here’s a slab of meat, don’t think about where it came from.” Perhaps it’s a ploy to prevent consumers from considering the conditions in which the animal was raised and killed ~ but that’s for another post.

5. Turn off the TV and discuss your meal.

Most of us aren’t at the monastic point of eating in silence. Practically speaking, many of us eat meals with family and friends. Instead of zoning out and watching the news, sports, or a sitcom ~ engage in a conversation about your meal. Talk about the texture, flavor, temperature, quality, etc. You’ll become more in touch with your senses. You’ll find that this helps you learn about why you and your family and friends like certain food and perhaps this will help you try new things.

Mindful eating helps us with proper digestion, eating the right amount of food, the overall enjoyment of food, and learning and becoming more in touch with ourselves and others.

What’s your biggest challenge to eating mindfully? What mindful eating tips do you have for our readers?

“There was a time when I didn’t really think much of yoga. As a runner, I’m used to sweating it out, lots of intense movement, burning tons of energy, and actually going places. Yoga seemed like something for those who wanted to relax (never mind that I clearly needed to relax) and stretch. It didn’t seem like something I had time for. And I was sure I’d get bored with holding poses, standing still, breathing deeply.

But then I decided to test out a yoga class at my local gym. And it… was pretty intense. The next day I was sore, but felt relaxed and invigorated. And I could hardly wait to go back and give the Vinyasa class another try.

What I hadn’t realized before was that yoga encompasses a wide variety of styles and methods of practice, each of which is based on the foundation of breathing, balance, mindfulness, and spirituality. And depending on what the needs of your body and mind are – whether it be more meditative and restorative, or more physically demanding – there’s probably a method of yoga practice that is a good fit for you.

The tricky part is knowing which style that is. Here’s a quick yoga style guide to get you on the right track and to the right class.”

Click here to learn about ten  different styles of yoga.

Which style do practice?

Aparigraha and Nonattachment in Everyday Life

Aparihraha is part of yogic philosophy. For an introduction to yoga philosophy, it is important to learn about the yamas and niyamas.

Aparigraha and Nonattachment Overview

Aparigraha is one of the yamas ~ the definition is nonattachment. Feelings, thoughts, emotions, and possessions are all impermanent. This post will focus on nonattachment to material possessions.

What we own ends up owning us. You can see this every day in your own life and the life of your friends and family.

If you’re a recent college graduate, adhering to the Aparigraha principle will give you freedom from the debt and obligations that shackle your friends and perhaps your parents. If you follow the path that American society dictates, you might find yourself trapped in a mountain of debt and useless possessions.

Possessions end up owning you, not the other way around.

Shackles Holding Us Back

I know so many people who would like to travel and live an extraordinary life but they’ve imprisoned themselves with debt by conforming to societal norms. Society tells us that we need to go to a great college and get a great job and then buy a great car and a great home. And then buy a bunch of great stuff to fill up the home. Is this really necessary?

I’ve fallen into the possession and attachment trap, what can I do?

Car payment? Student loan debt? Credit card debt? Mortgage? Garage full of useless items? Closet full of clothing you don’t wear?

The solution is to sell your crap, pay off your debt and change your mindset. On eBay and Amazon, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. There will likely be buyers. If not, give it away. Giving is one of the most gratifying feelings in the world. If you need additional incentive, consider the tax credit offered to those who donate used items.

There was a study done that showed that true to the Pareto Principle, Americans wear 20% of their clothing 80% of the time. Look in your closet. There is probably numerous pieces of clothing that you haven’t worn in years. Get rid of them. Getting rid of physical clutter has been proven to rid your mind of mental clutter in the process.

By practicing yoga, meditating, reading and studying the great teachers, one will soon realize that the feeling we get from accumulating material possessions is a hopeless, fleeting pleasure.

Attachment and Making Consumer Purchases

Think of a recent time you purchased an article of clothing. You really liked it at first, right? But as time went on, you probably became accustomed to the piece of clothing and your affinity for it faded. You either lost it or it sits idle in your closet. Before you buy, realize that the good feeling you get from purchasing is impermanent. The purchase is probably unnecessary. This realization will help prevent the buildup of useless crap.

Why is it this way in America?

If we grew up in Japan, our attitude towards saving would likely be completely different. America is a debt driven society where consumers are encouraged to spend because it stimulates the economy in the short run. The average American ends up with mountains of high interest credit card debt by buying things that we don’t need.

As a society, we’ve lost touch with what matters. It seems many Westerners are concerned with celebrities and gaining social kudos from peers. We’ll do anything to satisfy this craving.  Moreover, we’re so addicted to technology that it has become difficult to sit in silence and observe what’s going on in our minds.

In our travels to Cambodia, we witnessed the complete opposite. The locals were so happy and they had so few material possessions.

Children Ka Chut Kroam Village, Cambodia

Test to Determine your Level of Attachment

Next time you misplace your cell phone or computer or another valuable item, notice your reaction. Are you mad? Sad? If so, take a second and reflect. I often cringe when I drop my iPhone in “fear” that I had just shattered the screen. But isn’t it a bit ridiculous to let the status of a possession dictate your happiness? Let’s reduce this attachment to possessions and limit craving for items.

Conclusion on Aparigraha and Nonattachment

Some of us are always chasing…. chasing an impossible fleeting feeling of “happiness” that supposedly comes from accumulating material possessions. There are not enough material possessions in this world that will make you truly happy. This can only come from within.

Let’s strive to take the opposite approach to those on the hit American TV series Hoarders. Pursue your needs, not your desires and you’ll have more freedom in life. Be content with less.

“My barn has burned to the ground, now i can see the moon.” ~Japanese Proverb

Underlying discontent and unhappiness are often experienced when you’re not living in alignment with your priorities or God’s design for your life. For example, if you value spirituality and inner peace, but spend five minutes a day meditating and two hours watching TV, then you are not in alignment. Or if your relationship with your husband ranks in your top three but the time and effort you spend on him are substantially lower, then something needs to change. You might need to make sacrifices and rearrange a few things in your life to create more time for the things that really bring you deep satisfaction and joy.

Take a moment to think about what the following items mean to you and rank them in order of importance. Then, evaluate your reality and how you actually spend your time:

Career climbing
Time with children
Clean and orderly house
Exercising
Financial security
Relationship with spouse
Relationships with friends
Relationships with family
Spirituality/inner peace/meditation
Creative endeavors
Eating healthy
Watching TV

Do you spend your time in alignment with your priorities and your life’s purpose? See how you can create and arrange your life so that you are spending your time and energy where you genuinely want to.

Some people believe that life is drudgery, and they just try to “get through” each day. These people aren’t putting their energy into what truly matters to them. We are here to live and experience feeling, meaning, and joy to the fullest. If your life is not bringing you that joy, then see that as an indicator that something is off. Slight shifts in your daily behavior and how you spend your time can be positively life altering.