Month: September 2017

 

Always a popular session, the group took time out this week to become stilled and to relax.  Group members shared their various positive experiences of mindfulness sessions or groups, and how beneficial this had been in learning to manage extreme anxiety and to have a way of coping with and calming tumultuous thoughts, to attend and respond to emotionally demanding situations from a place of stillness rather than on the back of drama.

First of all we did a relaxing body scan, just allowing ourselves to be aware of our breathing and each part of our bodies and grounded.  We then moved on to an exercise of being aware of what emotions we had and welcoming all emotions as they are there to show us something but also that there is something in the naming of emotions that helps us to recognise and calm them, as the following paragraph explains:

“The practice of mindfulness affords individuals a way of cultivating deep respect for, rather than avoiding, emotions. Cultivating a deep respect for emotions means appreciating and honoring what is unfolding moment by moment. When one nourishes whatever emotion arises, one greets it as an honored guest with an important message to deliver, rather than an enemy to contend with. In embracing and befriending whatever arises, mindfulness makes it possible for the individual to savor and realize more refined emotions.” (Khong, B.S.L. Mindfulness (2011) 2: 27)

We are posting today at the equinox, 22nd September when the hours of daylight and darkness are equal.  From this point on we will now see shorter days (in the northern hemisphere) as we herald the arrival of autumn.  In our group yesterday we had a focus on the changing season, saying goodbye to summer and moving into autumn and what this means for people.  Feelings and meanings were mixed, for some autumn is a season of excitement and anticipation, of beautiful light, tones and hues and a special atmosphere, that which we maybe name ‘autumnal’ with a change in the air.  For others there is a sadness as summer leaves, the days are shorter, colder and there is more darkness.  Along with Rachel Kelly’s book; Walking on Sunshine, we considered the poet Shelley’s words about autumn. Kelly says:

“The description of an ‘autumnal tone’ which is ‘sweet in sadness’ sums up the sometimes ambivalent feelings brought on by a season that marks the end of easy warmth [ok, so for us here in Scotland the warmth is not always so easily felt] and abundant greenery.  The poem promises new growth, even when the scene seems unpromising. ‘Withered leaves will enrich the soil and bring about ‘new birth’.  The ‘unawakened earth’ is waiting to burst into life……And ‘If Winter comes,’ Shelley asks, ‘can spring be far behind?’

We thought more about the beautiful, natural elements of autumn as we made a collage together, this was fun, creative and allowed for a relaxed atmosphere to chat about things.