Finding Fulfillment, a mindfulness exercise
I invite you to engage in a mindfulness exercise around the experience of being fulfilled, whatever that may mean to you.
Let’s start by turning your attention to your breath. Begin to notice the flow of air in and out of your body. Don’t try to control your breath, just notice what happens naturally. Notice what the breath feels like in your body: your nose, your throat, your lungs, abdomen, and back.
You may notice that as you breathe in there is a natural expanding in your body, so that inhaling creates a sense of openness. You may also notice that as you breathe out your muscles naturally relax and settle, so that exhaling helps us to let go of tension. Spend a moment noticing, even marveling at, the body’s natural ability to open and relax. You can always come back to this place if you feel distracted, lost, or frustrated in this exercise.
Now, I invite you to start to open up your mind to memories, images, feelings, and thoughts that come up when you think about fulfillment. Maybe there are particular memories of feeling fulfilled. These memories could be from any time in your life, they could be large profound moments or small fleeting ones. In the openness created by your breath, allow these memories and images to surface.
You may notice that other thoughts come up, too, connected memories, negative thoughts, whatever else. Practice setting aside any thoughts, memories, or images not directly related to feeling fulfilled. It’s ok and normal that they are arising in you, but we don’t need to spend time with them right now. You may notice that nothing comes to mind for you. That’s ok too. Continue to practice being open by following your breath and thinking about what fulfillment might mean to you.
You may also notice that in this open space we’ve created, negative thoughts come up first. This can feel discouraging, but is also very normal. Practice noticing the thoughts and setting them aside. Acknowledge them, but not dwelling on them. You are making more room for the fulfilling thoughts and feelings to come.
Take your time, return to following breath whenever needed, and allow yourself to be open to what comes up in you.
There may be one singular memory or many memories that become present in your mind when you sit and think about fulfillment. I want you to pick one particularly potent memory to recreate in your mind. Remember what that moment in time looked like, what were the sounds, who was there, where were you, what did it smell like in that place, what was the air temperature. Allow yourself to be truly immersed in that fulfilling moment. Notice what happens to your body and your emotions right here in this room as you allow yourself to sink into the memory of feeling fulfilled.
If you haven’t already, begin to think about other times in your life when you have felt these emotions and physical feelings, when you have experienced some part of this combination that makes up fulfillment. When you are ready, begin to write down a list of the times when you have experienced fulfillment or some part of it.
Reflecting on your List and the Experience:
Now that we’ve come to the end of the mindfulness exercise, reflect on what you wrote down in your list? What themes do you notice about your list?
Obstacles: What gets in the way of feeling fulfillment in your life? What got in the way during the mindfulness exercise? How might you begin to overcome some of these obstacles?
Greater Meaning: Reflecting on these emotions, insights, memories, and themes- is there a message here about finding meaning in life or purpose?
Action Steps: Based on this exercise and reflections, what are some concrete steps you want to take in the next week to increase feelings of meaning or fulfillment in your life?
