• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • ABOUT
    • MEET JOSH AND TERRY
    • GRATITUDE
    • OUR FAVORITE THINGS
  • CONTACT
  • WRITING
    • BOOKS
    • BLOG
  • PODCAST
  • My Courses
  • Log In
  • Cart
Josh & Terry Summers

Josh & Terry Summers

Creative and functional approach to the spiritual path, weaving insights and practices from Yin Yoga, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and ancient wisdom traditions

  • PRACTICE ONLINE
  • ON-DEMAND EDUCATION
    • Short workshops (2-3hrs)
    • In-depth courses (7-10hrs)
    • Teacher Training Modules (25-50hrs)
    • Summers School of Yin Yoga
  • LIVE/ONLINE EVENTS
  • 1:1

Greasing the Groove

September 23, 2012

Recently, I had a new battery installed in my digital watch. And now my continuity of mindfulness feels like it has improved by a power of ten. How is that?

The watch has a simple ‘chime’ function that can be set to beep every hour. And whenever I hear the chime, I now take five conscious breaths, regardless of whatever else I happen to be  doing.

This simple practice re-establishes the habit of being mindful and increases the frequency of occasions when mindfulness spontaneously arises on its own, in an unprompted manner.

I first heard of this technique from Bhante Gunaratana, author ofMindfulness in Plain English (among other books). And I was reminded again by Pavel Tsatsouline, the acclaimed kettlebell guru. Pavel applies this technique to physical development. He says that if you want to gain strength at pull-ups, then every time you pass your pull-up bar do half of your maximum number of reps. This strategy is called Greasing the Groove.  In other words, we lubricate the pattern of movement or thought so that the pattern becomes more easily replicable.

Get creative with greasing the groove. I can already hear the fashionistas amongst you complaining about the gauche aesthetics of a digital watch. Ditch the watch then. Get an app for  your phone or computer to chime at designated times.

Or take a leaf out of Thich Nhat Hanh’s book and take some conscious breaths at red lights or before answering the phone.

Whatever you do, keep the practice simple and manageable. Soon you will feel many moments of mindfulness as being linked, and the quality of your presence and focus improving.

For tips like this on how to establish and integrate a solid meditation practice, check out The Buddha’s Playbook, co-written by myself and friend, Michael Brooks.

 

Originally published on January 18, 2011

Primary Sidebar

  • Yin Yoga Essentials
  • Qi Harmonization and Yin Yoga
  • Traditional Chinese Medicine
  • Yin Meditation
  • Qi Gong
  • Dharma

Recommended Posts

How Yin Yoga Harmonizes Qi: A Holistic Model – Part 1

The Way of Yin – Receptivity and Creativity on the Path

The Biochemistry of Qi

The Four Principles of Yin Yoga

Footer

Find us around the web

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Instagram

Loading...

Join us!

Walk the path with us and receive our regular updates and reflections, along with a free copy of Josh’s ebook, “The What, Why and How of Yin Yoga” and a FREE 2-week trial to our online Sangha.

Copyright © 2023 · Josh & Terry Summers. Design by Great Oak Circle. Privacy Policy

We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website.

You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings.

Josh & Terry Summers
Powered by  GDPR Cookie Compliance
Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings.

If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again.