The Seven Pillars of Conscious Living - Shirly Gilad

THE 7 PILLARS OF CONSCIOUS LIVING

LIVING WITH MINDFULNESS

http://shirlygilad.com, [email protected], 561 504 6669© 2016 | Integrative Hypnotherapy Boca Raton, Florida

http://shirlygilad.com/

INTRODUCTION

• Conscious living, living with mindfulness, is a way to live your best life. A way to thrive rather than just survive. We are faced daily with many challenges, some large, some small. How we respond to these challenges, and what we choose to bring into our lives sets the stage for our life here on this earth, in this lifetime. We all want to live our best life. How do we do that?



THE FIRST PILLAR

• “Mindfulness means slowing down, paying attention, being grateful, and taking pauses to appreciate where you are, who you are, and whom you are with. It’s also about forgiveness and compassion, about being conscious of where you are on your spiritual journey and evaluating what’s important. It’s about remembering that we are part of something much bigger than our own selves. It’s about appreciating the earth and that we are responsible not only for it, but for each other” Rabbi Jill Zimmerman

Mindfulness and Meditation



• More and more studies are coming out that that show the tremendous benefits of meditation. Harvard Medical School fMRI studies show that in just 8 weeks of 20 minutes a day of mindfulness meditation the brain literally changes. Areas that are in charge of producing reactive, stress response are reduced in size while areas that are in charge of executive functions, planning, and emotional regulation increase in size . You can see that the effects of meditation are not restricted to the time that you are sitting or resting in meditation. The effects trickle into every moment of your day and night.

• Many hold the concept that meditation is sitting and expecting the brain to be quiet or empty. Yet as I said before, the mind is not quiet. It is anything but quiet. The skill you develop over time with meditation is to not get caught in the chatter of the mind and over time. As you get better at it. You may find an overall quieter mind.

Meditation in Mindfulness



THE SECOND PILLAR

• Eat mindfully. Eat sitting. Chew your food carefully, notice the texture, the flavor….. Don’t eat and watch TV, or eat and read the paper, or eat and check Facebook. Eat like you mean it. Eat consciously. If you take three deep breaths before you start eating. Your nervous system will quiet down immediately. This will give you brain a chance to actually register signals of hunger and satiety and stop eating when it is time to stop eating. Contrary to what your Jewish mom may have told you, you do not need to finish everything that is on your plate!

• Eat clean. This is what you are putting in your body. Your body does not need sugar and processed food. On the contrary. These are poisons that can contribute to excess weight and disease. Your body does need fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats and proteins. Some supplements may also be a good idea since we live in a deprived and polluted world, or you may have a specific health issue that requires supplementation.

• Be conscious of what you are eating. Not everybody is vegan or vegetarian or needs to be one. Nevertheless conscious living is about considering other living beings and this planet we are on. This is between you and yourself. If you are eating animal protein, do you care how these animals were treated and if you do, then make sure you purchase products from people that care about the animals they raise. Do you care about what grows on this planet? About genetic engineering? If you do, take care to buy non GMO produce. We can make conscious decisions everywhere we turn. It is where we decide to place our efforts and resources.

• Last but not least. You are not a better person if your pant size is 2, 4, 0r 14th. When you look in the mirror remind yourself of that fact. Commit to eating clean and then send the anxiety provoking thoughts regarding weight and looks in a helium balloon up and away. Looking around you at the people you care about and appreciate. Do you value them more or less because of their weight? If that is the case, you may have some work to do….

Nourishment



THE THIRD PILLAR

• Moving your body. Our machines were designed for movement. Find the way to move that suits you. Your body is carrying you around all day. You have to commit to its maintenance. By maintaining your mind, fueling it with the right food and by moving it.

• The benefits of walking only 30 minutes a day are tremendous. From improved metabolism, to reduce chance of dementia in older age, from weight control to improved energy, from improved immune function to improved sleep and the list goes on and on. Walk, cycle, do yoga, swim, dance…. Find the way for you to move and move your body. You owe it to yourself to treat yourself well. You truly deserve it.

Exercise



THE FORTH PILLAR

• So much happens when we sleep that it’s kind of an oxymoron to think of sleep as relaxation. This is the time for the body to repair and rejuvenate. If you don’t sleep well you don’t live well. The processing of memories. The repair of cells. The restoration of hormonal balance. Sleep is crucial to every aspect of our physical and emotional health. Sleep is the time for the body to detox. If you are suffering from chronic pain, sleeping better will literally reduce your pain.

• We already touched on some of the things that contribute to a good night sleep: meditation, clean nutrition, and exercise. But what else can you do?

• Creating a sleep routine: a nice long shower, listening to music, aromatherapy oils.

• Avoid technology and any and all blue screens. That blue light. The TV screen. It excites the brain and disturbs your sleep. For at least 30 minutes before bedtime avoid those screens. No falling asleep with the TV on!

• A dark room greatly helps sleep. Our brains are tuned to the light and dark circadian rhythms.

• Alcohol and caffeine are both a terrible idea so avoid these for 4-5 hours before bedtime. You think that glass of wine helps? Or maybe you are one of these people that falls asleep after a double espresso? Just know that your brain is still affected. It may not seem that way but the sleep pattern is disrupted.

Sleep



THE FIFTH PILLAR

• It is an essential part of taking care of you and an essential part of conscious living. A lunch with a friend, a walk by the ocean, a yoga class, a massage, a meetup group…whatever it is that gives you joy and pleasure, make sure you find time for it. At least once a week and hopefully more than that. Mix up the fun, try new things, new fun releases Dopamine in the brain and dopamine is great for overall wellbeing.

• We live in a busy world. We have many responsibilities. Finding time for things that bring us joy is an essential part of taking care of our own wellbeing. This is a crucial part of conscious living and of mindfully managing our lives. If you don’t take care of you then you are neglecting your duty and your responsibility to yourself in this world. Only from this place of wellbeing can you then step out and find a way to be of service in a way that does not harm you and brings true joy to you and to others.

Pleasant Activities: Have Fun!



THE SIXTH PILLAR

• We are social animals. We need to belong to a community. Finding that community requires conscious effort and mindfulness. The time of tribal living is gone from the modern world we live in and as an individual you have to seek and find your tribe. Having a sense of community is crucial to our makeup as human beings. If you are lucky enough to have a family unit you are already at an advantage but not everyone is lucky like that and it is not necessarily enough.

• Having the opportunity to be with like-minded individuals. To have the support and love of other people. To be able to exchange ideas and words, learn and grow. This is part of what makes us conscious and alive.

• Find your tribe. Find your community

Community



THE SEVENTH PILLAR

• Doing for others can come in many shapes and forms. It can be helping neighbors, relatives and friends and it can be volunteering through an organization. We all have some skill or ability that we can contribute to help others. From a helping hand and a listening ear to more professional skills that we may possess. While helping others is about being of service and indeed doing for others the research does show that it brings great benefits to those who serve. To name just a few, people that help other is the community:

• Report more satisfaction with their life

• Have improved emotional health

• Have improved physical health.

• And actually live longer

Doing For Others



LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE!

• Live consciously!

• Mindfulness & meditation, eating clean & exercising, taking care of your sleep and of your fun, while finding a tribe to belong to and doing good in the world is a way of life that that spells joy at every turn. Make your way in the world consciously and mindfully.


http://shirlygilad.com/tips-healthy-balanced-life/



The Seven Pillars of Conscious Living - Shirly Gilad

Self Improvement

Transcript of The Seven Pillars of Conscious Living - Shirly Gilad