EPISODE 42: CULTIVATING A MINDFULNESS PRACTICE: LEARNING TO BE PRESENT IN EACH MOMENT
Colleen Avis
On this episode of Bone Talk, BHOF CEO Claire Gill is joined by Colleen Avis to discuss the value of a mindfulness practice to help manage stress and promote healing. Colleen is not only an integrative life coach who helps people find clarity and focus, she’s also a certified Chopra Life Coach, yoga teacher, and practitioner of Ayurveda and NLP. Her book, Sacred Spaces: Subtle Shifts for Mind, Body, and Home Transformation, opens you to what’s possible and teaches you how to develop strategies for living a full and satisfying life. Her approach to mindfulness embraces the whole person. She believes the mind, body, and soul are beautifully intertwined.
Colleen’s journey that led her to the amazing life she’s created for herself has been years in the making. Her passion for interior design led her to focus on physical spaces and how they make us feel. She beautifully explains that the decision is ours to decide what we need or how we can use mindfulness, meditation, or breathing practices in our lives that is unique to ourselves. Chronic illness and life’s challenges can make things complicated, but it doesn’t make mindfulness impossible to practice. Allow yourself to bring clarity and focus into the moment by slowing down and being intentional. You’ll want to meet yourself where you are and develop awareness around what you are doing to start being more mindful. Be curious about people, your environment, and what you’re feeling in the moment.
““Listening really is the most powerful mindful activity. Listening to absorb and hear our own self, our heartbeat, our own awareness...””
Colleen also explains how movement and physical activity like yoga can be beneficial for health and flexibility. It’s not about having to get every pose perfectly correct; the benefit is in the focus of the movements and being present with your mind and body together. You can start any of these mindful practices without perfection. It’s easy to start small. Work towards daily progress by being mindful and compassionate with yourself when you show up and put in the effort.
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