Benefitting from Daily Distractions

by Alexandra Johnson

Each morning I awake with a wish to use my energy wisely. I often lose sight of this goal as I enter into the day’s obligations. I pick up my phone to do something, only to find myself distracted and forgetful of what I needed to do in the first place. I bounce from one event to the next. 

The same pattern is reflected in my thoughts and feelings. I feel happy after my morning coffee, sad when I read the news, and joyful again when a friend calls. Something that makes me smile one day may upset me the next. My impulses reflect the same conditioned responses that I learned in childhood.

I find that Breema’s Nine Principles of Harmony can offer assistance. When I choose one Principle to work with during my day, I have support to connect to an inner wisdom that seeks the most effective and beneficial way to meet the demands of the day. I can pick whichever principle feels most compelling: Body Comfortable, Firmness and Gentleness, No Hurry/No Pause, Full Participation, No Judgement, Single Moment/Single Activity, No Force, Mutual Support or No Extra.

When I work with Full Participation, for example, I can approach unexpected events one at a time, with the wish to attend to each one fully. Likewise, No Hurry/No Pause reminds me that connecting to my natural rhythm throughout my activities helps me decrease stress and tension. Each principle helps me to find body-mind connection, which supports me to move through the events of the day with presence.

Alexandra Johnson, MD, is an instructor at the Breema Center who teaches internationally and has a private integrative medical practice in Oakland, California. For information on consultation go to www.greetinghealth.com.   To find out about upcoming classes Alexandra is teaching, visit www.breema.info/alexandrajohnson.