Mindful Speaking

“There is only one decision you need to make: either you are working at your freedom or you are accepting your bondage.”
Robert Adams

Some of the habitual actions and thoughts you have each day are only adding to the coat of illusion you are wearing. How do you start your day? What are your activities and what are your thoughts and what are the first words to come from your mouth? Make them beautiful. Make your morning ritual beautiful by listening to something inspirational or something beautiful, or by simply moving into a meditative mind set whereby you observe your thoughts and feelings in an objective fashion and choose your first words with care. Say something loving and beautiful to someone. Or if you find yourself alone when you arise, then let your internal dialog be one of encouragement and support. Even if you have an inner (or outer) critic who abuses you first thing, still, find some goodness to comment on as well. At Kripalu, where I took my first yoga teacher training, that practice was built into the programs. Each time we had our practice teach, before we received any comments from our peers, we were to share our own experience with the group. First, we shared what we felt our strengths were in the practice teach, then we shared where we saw our teaching “edge”, or where we felt most challenged. It was a great feature of their program and it taught me to be able to find good even when things might seem to have turned out disastrous. It also helped me to recognize my inner critic’s voice in a more objective light, become my own best advocate and to see myself with a more balanced eye. It is a practice that helps to keep me grounded in reality, as opposed to being lost and confused in self-criticism and judgments.

So when you start your day, start it out by aligning with the way you want to feel. If you have a habit of grumbling first thing about what’s wrong, change your habit to one of offering words of love and praise, and give voice to what’s RIGHT, regardless of what others around you are saying. That way you set the stage for a day of beauty and joy. Then, at day’s end, you might decide to try a Kripalu-style evaluation where you first go over your day with an eye for what went right, where your strengths lie, and any little ways you made the world a better place. Then you might also notice, with the same objective mind, areas where you will want to practice being more mindful and aware of your words, actions, and intentions. I enjoy ending my day with a note of gratitude. No matter what your circumstance, there is always something to give thanks for: possessions, friendships, opportunities, skills, experiences, and even hardships (they, too, have their gifts).