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ElectroFlannelGore t1_jdwlq9x wrote

Ahhh thank you for confirming that at 35 I have no chance being self taught.

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captboscho OP t1_jdwmoko wrote

I'm in my 30s too

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captboscho OP t1_jdwmrys wrote

You always have a chance!

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ElectroFlannelGore t1_jdwoge4 wrote

Eh... I'm on a scholarship studying to become a mindfulness meditation teacher.

Some graduates have gone on to start businesses that teach mindfulness to corpos.

So I'll probably just be leading mandatory wellness classes you hate....or don't. It's nice and actually works.

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Chickensandcoke t1_jdx7j3c wrote

We used a mindfulness app/coach for our college sports team. High level, power 5 school. I believe they worked with most sports there. I enjoyed it a lot and definitely saw the value

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ElectroFlannelGore t1_jdxagcn wrote

That's awesome. I know someone who does that specifically for college sports teams. They're doing really well and everyone they work with has nothing but good things to say.

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RadFriday t1_jdwru13 wrote

Care to share some techniques? I work in tech and struggle with being present

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ElectroFlannelGore t1_jdwvbd2 wrote

The bone stock basics are this:

Take a period of time during the day or several periods of time. I recommend honestly starting with 1 minute and then 5 minute chunks 4 times a day.

In that time you want to sit somewhere vaguely comfortable. Even your desk chair is fine.

Then focus on your breath. Find an aspect that you can focus on. Different aspects are easier fo different people.

Some like to focus on the feeling of the air passing through the nostrils on inhale or exhale.

Some focus on the feelings of the lungs filling and the ribs expanding.

Others focus on the entire cycle of breathing.

Then the final step is when you notice your attention wandering to anything at all, you label that "thinking" and move your attention back to your breath.

The point isn't to "Stop Thinking" the point is to notice your thoughts, feelings or emotions as they happen and stop following the narrative of the thought. Don't judge the thought. Don't indulge the thought.

Some also find it helpful to repeat "I am breathing in, I am breathing out, I am present." However as your practice goes on and evolves you should try stopping the mantra and just focusing on the breath.

Like any exercise you are working a muscle. It's going to be difficult at first and almost seem impossible.

Common complaints are,"I just keep getting off track!" Or "I catch myself daydreaming!"

Awesome. Great. That's literally the practice. Catching yourself and bringing your attention back is flexing the attention muscle.

I'm present this secularly and have plenty of information in that realm but this is, at it's core, a Buddhist practice for me and I'd be happy to expand on that as well.

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TraceSpazer t1_jdx72te wrote

When you feel stressed, remember to calmly breathe.

It's one of the few things we can do that directly affects our parasympathetic nervous system. (I think that's the term)

Breath signals your heart and brain to come out of the stress-hornome cycle.

Game changer that.

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AgentScreech t1_jdyqt02 wrote

I got a job at a big tech firm at 40 after switching careers at 35. It can be done

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