{"id":1659,"date":"2016-04-11T21:13:31","date_gmt":"2016-04-12T02:13:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1659"},"modified":"2016-04-20T22:54:51","modified_gmt":"2016-04-21T03:54:51","slug":"spring-flies-like-butterfly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lostpineslife.com\/?p=1659","title":{"rendered":"Spring Flies By Like a Butterfly"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring at Little Piney<\/h2>\n

Spring flies by like a butterfly–beautiful, colorful, swiftly gone. \u00a0I know it’s not over yet, but in the flurry of over-scheduled days away from Little Piney, I feel a sense of loss. \u00a0I didn’t have enough days with the Bluebonnets which are already going to seed, or with the Cedar Waxwings which are moving on for the summer. \u00a0I didn’t get good photographs of the egg-filled nests where baby birds have hatched and will soon fledge. \u00a0The flock of Blue-winged Teals and one American Coot\u00a0will probable leave this week. \u00a0These thoughts are enough to affect my mood and make me a grumpy, distracted companion at all of the other important events happening in my life.<\/p>\n

Here’s where I have to practice what I preach in my role as a psychotherapist (yes, that’s my “real” job)! \u00a0I have to practice Mindfulness.<\/p>\n

Mindfulness<\/h2>\n

Mindfulness is all about being in the moment–setting aside regret and rumination (the past) and anxiety and worry (the future) to fully experience and appreciate the present. \u00a0Mindfulness is\u00a0a well-supported\u00a0treatment in the therapy world for anxiety and depression often in conjunction with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or other models. \u00a0Most of my clients find mindfulness practice very helpful in managing anxiety and discover that learning “to turn their minds” toward sensory experiences is calming and grounding. \u00a0I find a\u00a0mindfulness practice helpful\u00a0in my own life, and I recognize\u00a0that mindfulness occurs spontaneously when I am at Little Piney surrounded by nature, or when I’m 100% lost in my art work.<\/p>\n

Notes to Self<\/h2>\n