The beginning of life

Yesterday I was looking at a documentary on Apple+, The beginning of life (Netflix link). Breakthrough technology allows neuroscientists to research how environment and caretakers have a huge influence on young children and how that shapes that not only their future but also ours. 

Babies always make me melt so I watched and learned a few wonderful things (if you have a baby, talk to it as much as possible ♥) About 3/4 into the documentary they film this little girl in the slums of India, no parents, perhaps 8y old, taking care of her little brother and sister, as all Westerners I can stomach all of that, I mean we see it so often yet we don't care at all. 

 

But then the interviewer asked her: What is your biggest dream? And with a smile on her face she said: 

I don't have dreams...  and then that smile faded as she possibly became aware of the hard reality of what she just said. I burst out into tears and cried for two hours, the unfairness of this poor girl hit me so hard and I felt like I need to help her. Made a clip of it for you:

 

The documentary was made in 2015 and a quest to find who she is led to nothing but I did find a site to help children in poverty: Sponsor a Child in Need

I found a child and payed the first amount for him, Prince 3y old and awaiting his picture and package to get to know what he needs

 

 

 I will continue to try to find the little girl in the documentary and find a way to help her and her siblings. Please if you can afford, consider helping one of those children too, or find a family near you that needs help. No child deserves to live in poverty.

I usually don't make New Year resolutions, I am fairly good at planning what I want in my life and do what is needed to reach my goal. This year I do to honor this little girl.

 From now on I will be grateful for all I have and not complain. No more whining and moaning about futile things, feeling down for things that don't matter. Enough with the selfishness and the greed. A ray of sunshine, the smell of grass... everything is a reason to be grateful, specially for us Westerners. 

I will keep all my wishes for her, that her life gets better and maybe one day this child has a dream again ♥

 

 

 

Mindful eating

 Shared by ZadigFrost at Cythe's Mindful eating meditation class.

Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life

 

This week at Share & Care

 A quote and wonderful reminder shared by Lancelost:

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.

If you are anxious you are living in the future.

If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

-  Lao Tzu

♥

 Something to read shared by Cyntia Grainer:

The dark nights of the soul by ThomasMoore

 

 ♥

Something to watch shared by Raeven:

 ♥

 

Do you suffer from Anxiety and/or Depression? Share & Care is a weekly, informal gathering held at The Center for Mindfulness in Secondlife at 4pm SLT (PST) where you can share your experience, what helps you cope and what not, find or be a shoulder, make new friends or just sit and listen...

If you have something that you find useful, helpful, or interesting regarding anxiety, depression, or is mindfulness related, please share it in our Discord. You can also pass it directly to me inworld so I may also post it here on the blog.

_人_ Namaste ♥

Weekend Events - Cancelled

Our events for the next few days have been removed from the calendar as the guides are all taking the weekend off. The center remains open 24/7 as your tranquil, safe space in SL. We encourage you to continue your personal practice, both in SL and in RL.

Many helpful resources like meditation videos and advice can be found throughout this blog.

With loving-kindness, we all wish you a healthy and safe New Year and a wonderful weekend!
See you all Monday with a fresh start. ♥

 

Creating a Sacred Space in Your Home

Here's a nice article to inspire you to make a special place for meditation in RL while your avatar joins us for our mindfulness events inworld.

_人_ Namaste ♥

Holiday Party @ the Center ♥

 

Gratitude and Well-being

 Shared by Bronus and grateful he always shares those nice snippets with us in Discord ♥

Happy Holidays from the Center for Mindfulness Team ♥

Happy Holidays from the Center for Mindfulness Team ♥ Find your gifty at the Center (on landing go right and click the happy holiday sign, don't forget to activate your group! )

After the holidays I will make a texture HUD and you will be able to buy it with meditation coins!

Let the magic of this holiday season surround you with unlimited happiness. In this comfiest season of the year, may you find many reasons to smile, have a tremendous and joyful start to this new year and have the wheel of luck running throughout the year.Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season.

Anna, Alexander, Dann, Blitz, Nami, Raeven, Reko, Cythe, Pet, Norton and Ren ♥ 

 

 

 

There are many ways to practice meditation

It's not so much how or where you mediate. It's more about being mindful and taking the time to do it. Yesterday in Share & Care, Lancelost shared that there's a game on steam to help you learn to meditate. If you suffer from anxiety, it could be a useful tool.

 ♥

PLAYNE: A meditation game.

A video game that helps players learn and build a daily habit of meditation. Grow & transform the game world by meditating. Build resilience to stress, experience calm and relaxation. 

Winter Solstace Blessing

As my current focus with leading meditations in SL have been Loving-Kindness, I felt compelled to share this graphic that Bronus posted on our discord channel. In this season of giving, during this crazy year we're all experiencing, let's be mindful to treat ourselves with loving-kindness as well as to everyone else who crosses our path.

Meditation is preparation for death

 Another one Bronus shared with us, this time this little gem coming from The Midnight Gospel on Netflix. This scene is cry under a minute ♥

Isolation Well-Being

 

Bronus shared with us at our Discord this perfect check list to keep us healthy and courageous in another lockdown. I agree with all of them and add ☑ meditation Thank you! ♥

Sharing and Caring in a virtual world ♥

    We do not have a formal structure for the Share & Care event. It is a time to sit together and connect with others. To build trust and friendships. It is a time and a place where the structure is based on what you bring to it, and what you would like to take from it. If you are someone who lives with anxiety or depression and would like to share what is troubling you, this is a safe place to do so. If you have helpful advice to pass on to others, we encourage you to present that to the group. It could be extremely helpful to someone who needs it. Some of you may feel more comfortable just sitting amongst peers and listening. We welcome that as well.

    This week the theme of Share & Care did not focus on anxiety or depression at all. Instead we casually talked about how being in a virtual world has been a source of relief, especially during this pandemic.

    Cythe mentioned how retail therapy in Second Life can mirror retail therapy in RL and how it brings a sense of comfort. We talked about how Second Life relationships can make us feel close to one another and how lasting bonds can be formed. Some friendships that are eventually taken to RL and others even resulting in marriage.

    We discussed how something as simple as a group hug can truly be a source of solace for someone. How playing inworld games with other people can be such a wonderful distraction to take us away from the things that might be happening in RL.

    We also acknowledged some of the amazing places people have created for everyone to explore and enjoy inworld. Just to simply escape the things that may be causing you anxiety or depression. Or, even to pass the time and witness some very creative places in SL. Who knows, you may even find a peaceful little spot to meditate.

 Here are some links that came up in our session:

• Trekking inTibet: Mount Everest Expedition in SL

•  Grand Canyon Second Life

• Moogle Land

• A virtual vacation in Ibiza

 

 Lancelost, suggested this book and said he quite enjoyed it because he found it very helpful.

• You can be happy no matter what byRichard Carlson

He also shared this link on Chronic Pain Control Techniques

     Wow, we covered so much in just one short, casual hour and we even managed to squeeze in a group hug too! On behalf of Dann, Cythe and myself, I’d like to thank those who came. Even your quiet presence is a welcomed contribution because without knowing it, you could be helping to create a sense of comfort, safety, and a supportive community for someone else. Helping others can also help mend the deep wounds within ourselves, help us grow, and heal. Or, you might just make a new friend to explore and share SL with. Plus, by simply coming and spending an hour with us, you earn a CFM coin.

Hope to see you all next week, same time, same place. 4pm SLT at the Yoga Platform.

 

The Center For Mindfulness Coins

From Monday 16 Nov we implement the Mindfulness coins ♥ This means after every event your guide will be sharing a coin with you which you can save up to trade for items ...

Read more...

 

Mindful Eating

 

Mindful Eating

Join us on Thursdays when Cythe will lead a discussion and meditation at 1 pm slt about mindful eating. Join us and bring a snack! 

Introduction to Mindful Eating

Mindful Eating Is

• Allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation by respecting your own inner wisdom.
  
• Using all your senses in choosing to eat food that is both satisfying to you and nourishing to your body.   
• Acknowledging responses to food (likes, dislikes or neutral) without judgment.
• Becoming aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decisions to begin and end eating.

Benefits of Mindful Eating

• Reconnect to innate wisdom about hunger and satiety
  
• Offers the possibility of freeing yourself from reactive patterns around food and eating
• Nourishes not only the body but the heart
• Empowers you to make healthier choices, unlike dieting, which can lead to feelings of deprivation
• Brings awareness of your relationship with other people and beings
• Shifts locus of control from external authorities to your body's inner wisdom

Someone Who Eats Mindfully

• Acknowledges that there is no right or wrong way to eat but varying degrees of awareness surrounding the experience of food.
• Accepts that their eating experiences are unique.
• Is an individual who by choice, directs their attention to eating on a moment-by-moment basis.
  
• Gains awareness of how they can make choices that support health and well being.
• Becomes aware of the interconnection of earth, living beings, and cultural practices and the impact of their food choices on those systems

Learn more

The Center for Mindful Eating has a wealth of resources for people wishing to learn about mindful eating and begin a mindful eating practice.