This evening I experienced some scenes from "Revolution" in Istanbul. For those who don't know, "Revolution" is an American science fiction television series which is about worldwide blackout event of electricity on Earth and after that blackout how people survive and adapt their new wild life.
Because of the storm, electricity cut off in several places in the city. Traffic was awful than ever because there were not any traffic lamps working. İmagine, the gloomy streets under the dark and cold weather without even a little light except headlights of cars! I know, It seems most probably annoying. Nevertheless, such evenings are good times for me to spend time with my family or loved ones. Furthermore, I think it is easier to concentrate each other and have a close contact.
Tonight, sudden cut off of the electricity changed all plans of our family dinner. In this kind of situations it is important to be able to find quick solutions and go with the flow. My parents always have been really good at this life skill (maybe because of getting accustomed to deranged politicy routine in Turkey!?). Lets come to the point, there were not many candles at home and oven wasn't working. So my dad immediately invented the light source that you can see in the picture. Also, my mom cooked the dinner without oven (she used oldish methods). I only helped them find materials they need. Finally, when we sat down the table, we all felt the success after campaign. After that flow experince, it was easier to give attention to meal. Moreover, while one of us was talking, we could listen eachother more carefully without any distracting voices or figures around. ⚡️☔️🕯🍲🥂👨👩👧
#mindfuliving #mindfulmoments #mindfulness #cutoff #electricitycut #familydinner#inventionoftheday #quicksolutions #lightsource
Sounds are all around us. Mindful listening helps us choose which sounds to focusour attention on and in the long run helps us to heighten our sensory awareness and respond to the words of others.
This morning I came across this video on the internet by a chance. It was the video of Pianist Ludovico Einaudi In The Arctic Ocean. Since 1980, the Arctic has lost nearly three quarters of its sea ice.
Even though it was a video for creating social consciousness and awareness, the piano sounds accompanying the flow of nature had affected me as much as the social message it tried to give. After watching the video, I immediately started mindful listening exercise.
I closed my eyes and sit comfortably on the sofa. I pressed the repeat button of the video. First of all I started to listen as mindfully as I could to the sounds of piano and focused on it until the end of the video. When it started the second time, this time I gave my attention to the voices and noises other than piano. I could recognize the wind, voices of the birds, movement of the water and the falling of the snow drift. At the third repeat, I opened my eyes and I watched the video more carefully by recognising each of sounds. 🗻🌬❄️⚠️🎶
For the video: https://youtu.be/2DLnhdnSUVs
#ludovicoeinaudi #ludovicoeinaudiinthearcticocean #mindfuldayeveryday #mindfuliving #mindfullistening #piano🎹 #savetheoceans #savethearctic #greenpeace #seaice #savetheseaice #elegyforthearctic
Birding is an activity like mindfulness that prompts you to think outside yourself and focus on what’s around you. You use all your senses to gain awareness of your surroundings.
Today I had my daily seaside walking exercise and then sat on the wooden bench for watching birds mindfully. There were black cormorants and gulls around.
First of all, I started to take deep breathes and gave my attention to my body. When deep breathes started to be regular, I paid all my attention black cormorants by observing them. They were banding together and swimming synchronised. None of them was deranging. They were like watching the ships and changing their way depend on the route of the ships.
After ten minutes, I closed my eyes and tried to hear birdsongs. There were only gulls voices around. I tried not to hear other voices and noises around such as cars, wind, people etc. It was the more difficult part for me. Everytime I lost my attention, I opened and closed my eyes once and concentrated again. Hearing part lasted approximately 6-7 minutes.
After exercise I felt relaxed and slowed down. 🌧🐦🐧
#mindfulmoments #birding #mindfulbirding #mindfuldays #mindfuldayeveryday #seasidewalk #seaside #gulls #cormorants
If there is too many things around that distract our attention; we cannot totally be in the moment. Less is more. So not to obscure the pleasure of the moment, mindfulness is a good way.
Today I was sitting besides the stunning view with my friend and drinking hot drinks. While my friend was taking some photos, I decided to drink my "sahlep" mindfully. It is a traditional drink made from orchid roots in hot milk and cinnamon. At first I hold the cup in both of my hands nd felt the warmth. I let it warm up my hands. Then I brought the cup close to my nose and took a deep breath. I felt the intense aroma of the cinnamon into all of my nasal passage and exhaled slowly. I took a small sip. It was viscous and sugared. The taste was nice. I moved it around my mouth and then swallowed slowly. I repeated mindful drinking two more times. All of these took approximately five minutes.
#mindfulmoments #mindfuldrinking#mindfulday #mindfuldayeveryday #sahlep#orchidroots #cinnamon #milkydrinks#seaside #tastyandtraditional
If you are mindfully cultivating friendships based on trust, loyalty, sincerity and openness, every moment you spend together contains play and spontaneity 👯
#mindfuliving#mindfulsharing #mindfultalks#mindfulwalking #spontaneousplans#friendship #snow❄
If the plans you have made for the night canceled because of the snow, maybe snow deserves to attract attention. ☺ Tonight I walked along the seaside while the snow was falling. From time to time I closed my eyes and tried to concentrate the wet coldness of the snow on my face. When I got tired of cold, I went into a cafe and had a hot tea. Feeling the cold outside and the hot inside together was a little bit creepy but also joyful 🌨☕️
#mindfuliving#mindfuldayeveryday #snow #mindfulnight#happyfriday #seasidewalk #hotteatime#cold❄ #ilovesnow
Full moon was amazing today. I was fascinated when I first saw it as I was walking back to home from work. I couldn't think of any kinds of mindfulness exercise, just found myself in it. I was like hypnotized along the walkway. There weren't intense feelings or thoughts. My mind had seemed to be full with the full moon.
#mindfuliving#mindfulnessmeditation #mindfulnight#mindfullmoon #fullmoon #moonwalker#instamoon #mylens#beinthenow#mentalhealth
Istanbul finally got its first significant snow of the season today. My friend and I had been walking straight through the street when it started snowing. We decided to go to seaside to enjoy the moment a little better. Till we reached there, snow had slowed down. My friend suggested me to do mindful activity. It was nice to hear it from her because she had been supporting me since I decided to spread these mindful activities in my life. We stood side by side, closed our eyes and gave our attention to things we heard. Sounds of waves, blustering wind, screams of seagulls, ferry horn...After I opened my eyes, I looked at her. It was like to be in a relationship with yourself and still feel like together. Then I lift my head up to the sky and met the shining moon. It was a literally dreamy moment. I felt lucky. 🌊🌝🌨⛴💨👭
#mindfulness #mindfulnight #fullmoon#snow #friendshipismagic
In Jungian Psychology, "The shadow" symbolises the unknown ‘‘dark side’’ of our personality. It is primitive, negative and socially unacceptable. It consists sexual lust, power strivings, selfishness, greed, envy, anger and etc. It is unconscious part of our personality. Under stressful circumstances shadow may be triggered into temporarily taking total command of the conscious will.
Because of the last terror attack in Turkey, I have recognizing too many shadows around for these days. And today I met angry faces of it on the streets and I did the same thing such like when I feel the shadow inside me: I observed quietly and mindfully. No judgement, no blowing thoughts.
In many ways we need the shadow (for instance, it points the things we refuse to take responsibility) and must therefore learn to develop a more conscious and constructive relationship to it. But, don't forget, becoming conscious of the shadow requires tolerating the inherent tension of opposites within.
When you feel it, let it out and stand up to its destructive influence. You will recognize the wild power of it and discover its borders.
#mindfulday #shadows#terrorattack #carljung #jungianshadow#mindfuliving #jungianpsychology#darksides
Freshening is what we all need from time to time. We try different ways of it. Sometimes we go to natural places by thinking that the mountain air may rejuvenate us. Sometimes we drink vitamin shots or we find an art hobby for just to be in touch with our inner peace. All these ways help us to feel much calmer, but change comes from inside is usually more radikal reform of freshening and effects in a good way to long term period of our lives. Internal change comes with becoming concious of dysfunctional habits, decisions or expired relationships. It is like cleaning dead leaves of the flower; after it, it can breathe easily. Today first, I helped my plants breathe easily by rid them of dead leaves with mindful touching. Then, I gave all my attention to my dead leaves by writing for better concentration.
#mindfulmonday #mindfuldayeveryday#freshening #deadleaves #newborn#rejuvenate #plantstherapy#changefromtheinsideout
Natural desserts made with organic products and green tea are a great combination for inspiration. Change your eating habits through organic way and you will feel the power of your wild spirit inside your body
#organicfood #organicfoodporn#wildspirit #mindfuleating #naturalproducts#naturalproductshealthyliving
My parents and I came to stay in the village houses of our family friends who I loved very much for the weekend. They served us the pomegranate flowering winter tea they had gathered from their adorable garden. Then I taught them how to drink their teas mindfully by trying with them together. First we gave our attention to our breathes, then we focused on the feeling of touching of tea cups. Later we tasted our aromatic teas and tried to recognize flavors. After the try they told me that it was an unforgettable intense feeling. For me, this tasting experience was like an autumn in my mouth.
#autumngift#mindfultasting #mindfultaste#mindfuldrinking #autumntea#pomegranatetea #homemadetea#homemadedrink #villagehouse
This little angry bird is me in the picture. When I am angry, you can still see the same manner on my face. Such like this afternoon.
Actually I am not so bad at hiding my feelings if I have decided that here is not the right place or time to show it. But sometimes (especially when there is blatant injustice) it is not easy to cover my anger on my face and rarely on my behaviours.
Today I saw threats to my personal boundaries and felt offended. I left the place and took the phone and called my friends randomly just to complain about the problem again and again. Then I heard the inner voice calling me wisely: come on, just stop girl! Then I stopped, first physically and then mentally. I paid all my attention to my anger. Was it something someone said or was it a situation that triggered me? I found emotions and thoughts feeding my anger and then gave all my attention to my body. I felt tension in my neck and my face. My hands were little bit cold and my mouth was dry. I took several slow and deep breaths. Count to 20 while breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth. I told myself to relax and not react. I knew that they were still there but that it was okay to sit with my feelings. Then I imagined a safe, soothing place to retreat, went there. I continued to take deep breaths while staying there until I felt my body much more relaxed.
#mindfulanger#mindfulangermanagement #mindfulday#angermanagement #deepbreaths#mindfulafternoon #childinsideme#angrychildface
