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A Bellyful of Mindfulness
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Maya Talisman Frost

Maya Talisman Frost calls herself "the Mind Masseuse"--just for fun. She has taught thousands of people how to pay attention.

Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she offers fun, creative and powerful eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. Trained in mediation and conflict resolution, Maya has a degree in psychology and Asian studies, certification in mind/body fitness, a passion for neuroscience, and a 30-year meditation practice.

Maya recognizes that meditation, though extremely beneficial, doesn't appeal to everyone, and she zeroes in on the concept that we can develop greater mindfulness in a number of creative ways. She focuses on multiple intelligences theory--the idea that we are smart in eight different areas--and offers all kinds of tips and techniques to make mindfulness FUN.

Yes, FUN. No need to get so darn serious, she says. We were truly mindful as children, and we don't have to try so hard or take ourselves so seriously. The secret? Recognizing that mindfulness is the very essence of fun, and learning how to create awareness using the very activities that captivate us naturally.

So, if you're not into sitting still, staying silent, or closing your eyes, don't worry. There are literally HUNDREDS of ways for you to develop greater awareness and pay attention to what matters most. All you need is a reminder to play with mindfulness.

Maya lives with her family in Mazatlan, Mexico, where she happily meets clients from around the world. She offers ebooks and ecourses guaranteed to help you become calm, clear and creative. She also trains clients through phone sessions and customized "playshops" held in various locations around the world.

Are YOU ready to play? Just click on the link below.

Author Links
Business URL:   http://www.Real-WorldMindfulness.com, http://www.MayaFrost.com, http://www.MassageYourMind.com
Blog URL:   http://www.massageyourmind.blogspot.com
 
By Maya Talisman Frost
Published on 07/29/2006
 

Feeling full? Perhaps it's time to get spilled.


A Bellyful of Mindfulness

Taco Bell, the Mexican fast-food franchise, has a new ad campaign focusing on the slogan, "Get full." The commercials show people ecstatically announcing that they are full--thanks, of course, to the huge value meals now available at Taco Bell.

We know that feeling full isn't simply a matter of building a bigger, better burrito. There's a whole lotta emptiness going on, and it's not always filled by what we put into our bellies.

The search for connection, for meaning, for love--these are longings not met by the bags we pick up at the drive-thru window. To feel full in the truest sense, we must figure out what we are lacking in our lives. We're not always mindful of this quest.

Seeking satisfaction in activity? That can work. Be honest here--is your time spent actively avoiding emptiness or actively seeking fullness? These are two different things. If you find yourself with a full calendar and an empty heart, you're bathing yourself in distraction, and sooner or later, that's going to plug up your bathtub.

Being full doesn't mean you're packed with positive thoughts and emotions all the time. We need the whole enchilada to help us develop as caring, compassionate humans, and sometimes that means we are full of frustration, sadness or despair.

Hey, it still counts as being full! You're a vessel, and you should be continually filled, but not necessarily consistently filled with the same stuff. It's the emptying and filling that keeps things interesting.

"A full cup must be carried steadily."--English proverb

Getting spilled is part of life. What are you doing to spill yourself...and what are you doing to get filled up again?

Spend time this week contemplating the concept of fullness. Be mindful of opportunities to notice when you are feeling depleted or overflowing.

Concentrate on paying attention to thoughts, emotions, stories, people, places and activities that make you feel full, and practice saying, "This is full" whenever you notice it.

Good full or bad full--don't judge that. Just be mindful of that sense of fullness wherever you feel it.

Taco Bell entices people to "get full" and this is good advice. But skip the "full-on value meal" and concentrate instead on your own fullness whenever you see an ad or drive by a Taco Bell.

Ask this: Am I full? What is filling me right now?

Fill what's empty. Empty what's full. Stir things up and start again.

That's a recipe for full-on living.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse offering specialized mindfulness training in Portland, Oregon. Her work has inspired thinkers in over 100 countries. To subscribe to her free weekly ezine, the Friday Mind Massage, please visit http://www.massageyourmind.com