Play & Book Excerpts
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A Mindful Year
(Blackstone Publishing)
© 2019 Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh and Seth J. Gillihan, PhD
DECEMBER 21
Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.
—THICH NHAT HANH
If you knew everything that was to going to happen in your life, what effect would this have? Would you worry more about upcoming obstacles, or find comfort knowing that you’ll navigate the challenges? Would you find this future knowledge liberating or constraining? Personally, I’m happy I don’t know. It feels like this would bring an added layer of responsibility. The present moment seems to hold enough on its own.
As we’ve come back to, over and over, time and time again, all we have is the present moment. The best we can do is live each moment consciously and deeply. Whether the clouds are raining or the sun is shining, whether we’re driving along an empty road at night or stuck in the morning traffic, whether we’ve just eaten the tastiest burrito imaginable or are envying the food of the person sitting next to us, whether our marriage is blossoming or struggling, whether we feel fat or thin, whether we’re being kind or harsh to ourselves, all we have is the present moment.
INVITATION
Today, connect to the present moment. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice the air move as you breathe. Hear the sounds around you. This is all you have: the present moment. The best you can do is live it out consciously and deeply.
JANUARY 8
God loves to feel things through our hands.
—ELIZABETH GILBERT
We depend so much on these bodies we inhabit. Take a moment to look at your hands. You know these hands well - “like the back of your hand,” as the saying goes - and yet they’ve changed throughout your life. They were tiny and wrinkled when you took your first breath, when you grasped the finger of your mother or father. They’ve grown as you have, getting stronger and more skilled. Your left hand might bear a ring that symbolizes an eternal joining with the one you love. These hands tell your story. In many ways, they have written it.
Your hands are miraculous, responding to your thoughts: Open, and they open; Close, and they make a fist—your very own telekinesis. Consider all the things these hands allow you to do: hold a baby, blow your nose, push a broom, hug a friend, wash the dishes, hold your head in grief, put on your pants, lift a fork, massage sore muscles, type on a keyboard, feel the pulse of your beating heart - to name just a few.
There is great power in our hands. We can deliberately pay attention to them, noticing their movements, their sensitivity to touch, the connection they make with our physical world. Like the breath, we can always return to our hands to ground our awareness in the moment, perhaps feeling gratitude for their exquisite design.
INVITATION
As you go about your day today, notice your hands, both what they’re doing and the sensations they transmit to your brain. May your hands serve others and communicate love.
MARCH 18
Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.
—TIRUMALAI KRISHNAMACHARYA
Jesus, Cleopatra, Shakespeare, Joan of Arc, Aristotle, Martin Luther King Jr., Beethoven, Rosa Parks, you - what do they all have in common? One answer is that they’ve all breathed in the same molecules. Statisticians and theoretical physicists have forwarded the proposition that the same air molecules that we breathe have passed through the lungs of every historical figure to date.
The breath is a symbol of life. It connects us to every living thing that has ever roamed the earth. The breath can also connect us to our own bodies. We can easily wander through our day living in our minds, caught in a cloud of thoughts; the breath is always there, though, like a trusted friend. By connecting to the breath, we can connect to a soft, safe, peaceful place within us. We can rest without having to think about or do anything.
INVITATION
Today, connect to your breath throughout the day. Become aware of the sensations of breathing as you follow an in-breath and out-breath. If you wish, take a few breaths with a longer, slower exhalation. Deep, rhythmic, diaphragmatic breathing with longer exhalations has been found to activate the body’s relaxation system, reducing the heart rate and blood pressure.
Try a few slow, full breaths. Then allow your breathing to fall into its own rhythmic pace. Notice how your body feels. You can use this exercise when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, angry, or worried or simply as a way to sink into the present moment.
Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.
—THICH NHAT HANH
If you knew everything that was to going to happen in your life, what effect would this have? Would you worry more about upcoming obstacles, or find comfort knowing that you’ll navigate the challenges? Would you find this future knowledge liberating or constraining? Personally, I’m happy I don’t know. It feels like this would bring an added layer of responsibility. The present moment seems to hold enough on its own.
As we’ve come back to, over and over, time and time again, all we have is the present moment. The best we can do is live each moment consciously and deeply. Whether the clouds are raining or the sun is shining, whether we’re driving along an empty road at night or stuck in the morning traffic, whether we’ve just eaten the tastiest burrito imaginable or are envying the food of the person sitting next to us, whether our marriage is blossoming or struggling, whether we feel fat or thin, whether we’re being kind or harsh to ourselves, all we have is the present moment.
INVITATION
Today, connect to the present moment. Feel your feet on the ground. Notice the air move as you breathe. Hear the sounds around you. This is all you have: the present moment. The best you can do is live it out consciously and deeply.
JANUARY 8
God loves to feel things through our hands.
—ELIZABETH GILBERT
We depend so much on these bodies we inhabit. Take a moment to look at your hands. You know these hands well - “like the back of your hand,” as the saying goes - and yet they’ve changed throughout your life. They were tiny and wrinkled when you took your first breath, when you grasped the finger of your mother or father. They’ve grown as you have, getting stronger and more skilled. Your left hand might bear a ring that symbolizes an eternal joining with the one you love. These hands tell your story. In many ways, they have written it.
Your hands are miraculous, responding to your thoughts: Open, and they open; Close, and they make a fist—your very own telekinesis. Consider all the things these hands allow you to do: hold a baby, blow your nose, push a broom, hug a friend, wash the dishes, hold your head in grief, put on your pants, lift a fork, massage sore muscles, type on a keyboard, feel the pulse of your beating heart - to name just a few.
There is great power in our hands. We can deliberately pay attention to them, noticing their movements, their sensitivity to touch, the connection they make with our physical world. Like the breath, we can always return to our hands to ground our awareness in the moment, perhaps feeling gratitude for their exquisite design.
INVITATION
As you go about your day today, notice your hands, both what they’re doing and the sensations they transmit to your brain. May your hands serve others and communicate love.
MARCH 18
Inhale, and God approaches you. Hold the inhalation, and God remains with you. Exhale, and you approach God. Hold the exhalation, and surrender to God.
—TIRUMALAI KRISHNAMACHARYA
Jesus, Cleopatra, Shakespeare, Joan of Arc, Aristotle, Martin Luther King Jr., Beethoven, Rosa Parks, you - what do they all have in common? One answer is that they’ve all breathed in the same molecules. Statisticians and theoretical physicists have forwarded the proposition that the same air molecules that we breathe have passed through the lungs of every historical figure to date.
The breath is a symbol of life. It connects us to every living thing that has ever roamed the earth. The breath can also connect us to our own bodies. We can easily wander through our day living in our minds, caught in a cloud of thoughts; the breath is always there, though, like a trusted friend. By connecting to the breath, we can connect to a soft, safe, peaceful place within us. We can rest without having to think about or do anything.
INVITATION
Today, connect to your breath throughout the day. Become aware of the sensations of breathing as you follow an in-breath and out-breath. If you wish, take a few breaths with a longer, slower exhalation. Deep, rhythmic, diaphragmatic breathing with longer exhalations has been found to activate the body’s relaxation system, reducing the heart rate and blood pressure.
Try a few slow, full breaths. Then allow your breathing to fall into its own rhythmic pace. Notice how your body feels. You can use this exercise when you’re feeling stressed, anxious, angry, or worried or simply as a way to sink into the present moment.
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Seth J. Gillihan, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology in the Psychiatry Department at the University of Pennsylvania. He divides his professional time between psychotherapy practice, writing books and blog posts, and hosting conversations on living more fully for the Think Act Be podcast. His previous books include The CBT Deck; The CBT Deck for Anxiety, Rumination, & Worry; Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks; and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple. Dr. Gillihan specializes in mindfulness-based cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety, depression, and related conditions. He lives outside of Philadelphia, PA, with his wife and three children.
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Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh, DClinPsy, CPsychol, is an expert in the fields of behavior change and long-term health. A mindfulness specialist and creator of the FIT Method, he works internationally with clients on their mindset, exercise, and nutrition. He is regularly featured in popular lifestyle publications such as Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Marie Claire. Dr. Aria is an Associate Fellow with the British Psychological Society and Senior Associate Member of the Royal Society of Medicine.
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