Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/759264
more parties," she says, "and people's schedules are very, very busy. We end up being on automatic pilot and not really pay- ing attention to being present with people and our food. It just becomes kind of crazy. is is a hard time." So how do we bring mindfulness into stressful holiday parties and dinners? By slowing down, Siegel says. "Look at where you are, notice your surroundings, look at what you're eating, notice your hunger/fullness level," she advised. She suggests scheduling regular PAMs—shorthand for Pause a Moment—throughout the day. "Set an intention about how you want to proceed with food at a speci c party," Siegel advises. She teaches her clients about the hunger and fullness scale, which helps people rate their hunger from one to ten. "Pay attention to your hunger fullness and what you're really hungry for. Because some- times when you're not paying attention, you're eating and you're not really enjoying what you're eating. And it becomes very mindless." Siegel says if you get overwhelmed by your family and nd yourself overeating, temporarily remove yourself from the situation. "Realize food is not the answer to dealing with the relatives who are bugging you." Meditation/Mindfulness Resources in the L.A. Area Lisa Lichtenstein is a licensed marriage and family therapist, NLP practitioner, and hypnotherapist. http://www.lisalichtenstein.com/ Ira Israel, psychotherapist, has produced several DVDs on mindfulness meditation. He also o ers a free meditation app. http://iraisrael.com/ e Self-Realization Fellowship o ers events and in-person and online meditation courses at its L.A. locations and many more centers around the world. https://www.yogananda-srf.org/ Mentors Channel o ers online meditation resources. http://mentorschannel.com/ Pam Siegel is a licensed marriage and family therapist and mindful eating specialist. http://www.pamsiegel.com/mindful-eating/ Try an adult coloring book. Artist Emma Farrarons has a series of coloring books to promote mindfulness and reduce stress. http://theexperimentpublishing.com/tag/emma-farrarons/ How To: An Easy Meditation for Beginners e simplest mindfulness meditation is to focus on your breath. Sit on the oor with your back straight or, if that's un- comfortable, sit in a chair. Close your eyes and observe your breath. Your mind is almost certain to wander. at's normal. Gently bring it back to your breath. What do you do about all those thoughts vying for your attention? Israel suggests imagining putting your thoughts on leaves and watchiwng them oat down a stream, or on clouds that glide through the sky. e key is to watch them rather than be attached to them. "When we observe our thoughts we learn that most of them are redundant and negative and unwittingly maladaptive," says Israel. "Most of our reactions do not help us get our emotional and psychological needs met." Doron Libshtein, founder of the Mentors Channel, likes to focus on a mantra. is can be entirely secular, such as "I'm calm," or "peace," or a word or phrase from your religious tradition. "Just repeat your mantra, whatever it is, on the inhale and the exhale for a few minutes and I can guarantee that you will begin to feel better," says Libshtein. 28 wholelifetimes.com