Mindful Woman by Sue Patton Thoele

Author:Sue Patton Thoele
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781608824816
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications

Practice...

Sit still a minute with no focus or agenda.

Gently bring your attention to your breath, allowing it to rise and fall naturally.

With each breath cycle, imagine yourself effortlessly expanding into spaciousness.

Name the spaciousness “Love,” and rest there.

Throughout your day...

Imagine, and feel if possible, yourself at peace in a space of love.

Flowing steadily

From a spacious quiet mind,

Peace, love, harmony.

chapter 5. accepting what is

Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).

—James Baraz

In a society that stresses being in control, self-reliance, and the belief that we create our own reality, the concept of mindful acceptance is a hard one to get our arms around. While I definitely have faith in the ideas of self-reliance and creating our own reality, I also believe that gracious ­acceptance of circumstances, emotions, and experiences is very often a necessary, though neglected, part of life’s process.

For many years I was much better at resisting and attempting to control realities I didn’t like than I was at gracefully accepting them. Although I was familiar with the adage “Go with the flow,” I was an against-the-current swimmer. Eventually, it became apparent that resistance is futile, as Star Trek’s Borg like to expound. For me, resistance magnified any pain I was feeling and, seemingly, locked me in the embrace of that which I resisted.

Before I could relax my grip on the fantasy that I might control anything other than my own thoughts, attitudes, and choices, I needed to stop equating acceptance with capitulation, victimization, and helplessness. With practice, it ultimately became apparent that acceptance actually helped me feel self-reliant and able to cocreate my reality with God. Surprisingly, I discovered that acceptance is empowering, whereas resistance is enervating. Of course, my knee-jerk reaction to some stimuli is still resistance and a desire to control, but more often than not, I can now start moving toward acceptance as soon as I become aware I’ve regressed to my old tightfisted, tight-hearted, uptight behavioral pattern.

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