What was in your thought stream this morning when you were tying your shoes? If you were like most people, you were thinking about where you had to be and what you had to do next.
Yet, that time could have included mindfulness – without interfering with tying shoes or progressing to your next steps. There are many opportunities like this throughout your day to simply “be in the moment” and relax your mind. It can be very refreshing. When you learn mindfulness you discover that these moments are everywhere.
Let’s look at something else about tying your shoes that you didn’t think about – literally. It’s about how your brain works. As a kid, first learning to tie your shoes was probably a frustrating experience requiring lots of practice. You had to think about every step. As an adult, tying your shoes is automatic. You never think about the steps. You just do it. But what if you had to explain the instructions to someone without looking, only relying on memory. Not so easy, is it? Why?
Shoe tying is automatic because a pathway with those instructions has become wired in your brain. Once you grab the laces deliberate thought is unnecessary. It’s habitual, just like all the habits you have – good and bad. Understanding this will help you break the bad ones (e.g. smoking) and strengthen the good ones (e.g. exercising).
Scientists have discovered how to help OCD patients, and others struggling with undesired patterns of behavior, to strategically use mindfulness, attention, awareness, and directed mental force. With Functional MRI they can see the physical changes in the brain that correspond to the positive results their patients are experiencing. This is what is meant by rewiring your brain
Everyone has the natural ability to make similar changes. You can rewire your brain to improve your life.
In the EM Course you’ll learn the Four Step Method. You’ll learn how to use it to train your brain. You’ll also learn deep mindfulness meditation – the key to accessing the pathways in your brain. You’ll also learn the Emergence Principle, which will enhance the way that you develop those healthy habits. Try EM. It works.
