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Health & Fitness

Reflection and Awareness: The Spot-Check Inventory

No matter what we're doing, we can consciously make a point of noticing what's happening,

“We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.” --Step 10 of Alcoholics Anonymous 

What did the founders of the Program mean by “taking a personal inventory”? I believe they were instructing us to live a mindful life, repeatedly holding up a mirror to our actions, thoughts and
motivations. In fact, the Buddha said there are three times we should reflect on these things: Before, during and after we do something.

That about covers it!

If we fail to reflect, we stay unaware. Our old habits rule. In the throes of our addiction, we were anything but cognizant, blurred by drugs and alcohol—or (pick your “fix” of choice) sex, food, gambling, shopping or the craving for love. Without mindful awareness before, during and after our actions, we don’t have an iota of a chance for a better life.

Fortunately, that sort of awareness is within our grasp. As we sit on the cushions in meditation, we train ourselves to observe our sensations, thoughts and feelings. We sit with them, letting whatever arises pass on through.

In doing so, the practice can literally re-wire our brains; we draw on the resources of the left prefrontal lobe, which helps us temper impulsivity, calm negative emotions and rein in reactivity.

So armed, we are ready to take a continual “spot-check inventory” in all of our lives, not just during meditation. No matter what we’re doing, we can consciously make a point of noticing what’s happening without acting out (harming others) or acting in (harming ourselves).

For example, while talking to our friend or family member, just notice: What am I feeling in my body right now? What is the tone of my voice? How does the conversation seem to be going?

The habit of spot-checking during the day can be practiced randomly, in the midst of any interaction or whenever a toxic body sensation, thought pattern or emotional state alerts our attention. A spot-check acts like an inner mindfulness bell, signaling us: Whoa! Time out … take a breath here.

By stopping and breathing, we interrupt chain reactions of thoughts, feelings and knee-jerk behaviors. 

Ongoing mindfulness helps us notice the pressure in our chest, the hairs rising on our neck, or the toxic thoughts that precede an emotional hijack. We can catch the early warning signs, cautions that a reaction is in the works. We can do this before we act out an impulse (explode in anger, make a barbed joke) or act it in (eat a carton of ice cream, go to bed depressed). 

Thus, we are more free to choose how we want to be in the world, liberated from the toxicity of our addictive mind. In the words of the Buddha, “This is how the sincere practice of mindfulness leads to a vast harvest and great richness.”
 
Thérèse Jacobs Stewart, M.A., L.P., has been a practicing psychotherapist, meditation teacher, and international consultant for more than 28 years. She is the founder of St. Paul’s Mind Roads Meditation Center, which integrates contemplative practices from both east and west and serves as home of the St. Paul chapter of the Twelve Steps and Mindfulness meetings. For more information about her center and teaching schedule, click on www.mindroads.com.

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