Hello and welcome to today's session where we're looking at mindfulness and the observing self. And big welcome from me, my name's Doctor Mike Scanlon, I've done. Just quite a lot of work now with the veterinary profession, and I'm really excited to be part of this virtual congress.

And we've done a couple more films, but this one, I think, is a very special film, because we get to explore, a meditation in the second half of this session, which I think is one that you can incorporate into every day in a very quick and efficient way, but it also works beautifully. As a very curious mindful exercise in and of itself. So we're looking today at the observing self, but before we get there, I think it really would behove us as human beings, really, to recognise just how powerful it can be, if we can bring mindful attention to which self am I carrying into my day today, and to understand the workability.

And sometimes the lack of workability of some of the elves that we can inadvertently, if we're not mindful. Sort of find ourselves in. So let me just.

Shift in, so Before we start the meditation, which is the core of this session, and, and is a lovely meditation. I think let's just explore these, these selves. So the self that we can find ourselves inhabiting.

That kind of doesn't work for us that well. Most of the time is perceived self. So our perceived self tends to come from.

Negative experiences that we've had at an earlier stage of our life. Quite often in childhood or maybe. When we're in our teen years.

And it tends to be where we cultivated and found any negative self-belief that is accompanying us through our lives. And the negative self-beliefs, the really common ones are the I'm not good enough old mind story, or the, oh my God, I'm such a fraud mind story, or the, . Everyone else does better than me, mind story.

And these are like old mind stories that our brain just holds onto and conjures up. And some days we wake up and we go into our workplace, and we find ourselves, listen to the language there, find ourselves. It's not much mindfulness to that, is it?

It's almost as if, oh, there I am, stuck in my perceived self and. If perhaps I'm channelling that I'm a fraud negative belief that's very much a perceived self persona. Then nothing that I do that day that could bring me a sense of pleasure, reward, happiness, philtres through because I'm buffering it with.

This dreadful cumbersome. Self-critical perceived self-negative belief. So Where this can be so, so powerful is in.

Bringing mindful attention almost. Once or twice every day is just to smile and say, my goodness me, which, which self am I inhabiting today? Which self am I, taking into whatever's happening with me today?

And if we find that, do you know what, I've been so stuck in my Uncomfortable old perceived self, then we never tell ourselves off for that because there's no mindfulness to that. There is no judgement about it. We smile and we say, do you know what?

This self so doesn't work for me. So let's just find my actual self. Now, actual self is based on what's happening in this present moment.

So in this present moment, Doctor Mike Scanlon is sitting, sharing some knowledge with a group of people. And I know what I'm talking about and I enjoy this stuff. So in my actual self in this moment.

I'm OK. And By pulling myself in to actual self, I can leave the. Difficult perceived self behind for a bit, and I can acknowledge that the only time that we can ever really live is in this present moment.

Because the past has gone. We can't live there, and the future has yet to be experienced and so we can't live there. But I can Be in this present moment.

Making the very most of my actual self. But the vehicle by which I determine which south I'm in. I strangely enough, the most wonderful self of all.

In my opinion, which is our wonderful observing self. So this is what we're focusing on in today's. Meditation, because the observing self is where we need to be much more often to live happy, meaningful lives that are always gently taking us in the direction of the human being.

That we want to be. So the observing self is when you step out of yourself for a moment and you look at yourself and you just check in. And it's when you kind of say, well, why are you doing that?

And oh, I do like that. And well done, oh I like this self. Well done, no you've this version of Mike scam that I like.

Often called the mindful self, but I really think it makes sense if we see it as being pulling ourselves into that observing self with no judgement but a sense of whether it works for me, you know. And so our main meditation that we're doing today is one that aims to help us find our observing self. So Let's gently get ourselves into a position.

Where our posture is saying to our brains that. You're relaxed. There's a bit of a smile.

We call it the mindful half smile, it's kind of something like that. You know, there's a bit of a Smile of recognition, this is good and. In terms of posture, if you imagine that you're sitting in front of a mirror.

And you're looking at that mirror and you're asking yourself, do I look dignified? And for any of you that are kind of sprawled over your chair at the moment, it's asking you to put yourself up, to place your hands gently in your lap, to allow your shoulders to relax and to extend your neck and your back a little bit. Find that mindful half smile.

And then if we're ready, Let's start meditating. And this is a meditation to help us find our observing self. So we begin this meditation with the bee.

Of bold And the bee asks us to go and find our breath. And to take a gentle breath in through our nose. And to let it go.

And to acknowledge that we're using the breath. To anchor ourselves. Into this present moment.

Let's take another breath. And this time let's be curious about the very process of breathing. So as we take that gentle breath in.

We notice that we run out of air as we breathe in. There's an infinitesimal pause and we breathe out. At the end of the out breath, there's another little tiny moment before we breathe in again.

And we realise as we stay with this process of the breathing. That the breathing allows us to find that wonderful space. Between stimulus and response.

And it's in that space that we create by attending to our breath. That we can find our freedom and our growth. We can find.

Our observing self. So let's just gently find that observing self. And recognise that.

The observing mindful self is where we can place our attention. And let's look back. On the day that has been so far.

And as we look back from our observing self. With no judgement. We just get a sense of is this human being?

That I observe here. Is this the man or the woman? That I want to be That I aspire.

To be And I relax into my observing self. And I recognise that. Well, for some of today, yeah, you've been kind.

Perhaps you've been good. Perhaps you've been moving through the day at a leisurely pace. And perhaps the work that you've done.

As a vet has been wonderful. And the exchanges that you've had with your colleagues have been respectful, kind. And I like that name.

And maybe sometimes from our observing self. What we find is not so. Incredibly useful.

So maybe now get a sense of Looking at our observing self and Sometimes what we find is. We find that we've been rushing. Mindlessly through our day.

We've been Unkind or unpleasant or Dismissive to people that we like or maybe even love. And as we look at that, we don't go harsh and. Critical Towards ourselves but we.

Use this space that we found between the stimulus to start doing the bold. And the space that we've found now. To grow And to free ourselves from actions and behaviours that have.

No workability for us. And we can Move into this wonderful observing self. And we can see ourselves.

As we've been And as we really are. And the L Of the bold meditation asks us to lean in. Within our minds, really lean in and look.

At ourselves. And the way we're currently Living our lives from this wonderful refuge. Of the observing self And to lean in and say.

Do you know, is this version of me. That I'm connecting with right now. Is this the me That I like Is this me fully in touch with?

The stuff of life that really matters to me, my values. Am I living today? My life In a way that It's true To what really matters to me.

And this wonderful observing self. And this gentle. Allows me to get a sense of.

Quiet recognition that Do you know, maybe. This isn't the Mike Scanlon. I want to be.

Maybe I can be better than this. Maybe I can Live a life And live my life closer. To the person I want to be.

Or maybe what I find, and this is lovely. It's when I lean in. I'm happy with what I find.

And I say, oh no, I really like. This Mike, he is kind, he is good. I Living a life in touch with that which matters most.

Oh, I like him. And then we get to the point where we have. A decision to make.

And we connect with this. Real human truth. That Our lives are a series of choice points.

And if we bring ourselves into this. Present moment more often. And we stop.

And we get a sense of The way I move forward from this present moment. Can I Take me towards the human being that I want to be. Or it can divert me away from the human being I want to be and the decision I make.

It's mine. It's my choice. But I can only make that choice.

If I am mindfully aware. That I have that choice and what this bold. Meditation does.

It brings us to this choice point. And we can stop. And we can perhaps even find.

You know for the rest of my life. I want to lean in. And I want to be kinder.

I want to be Freer I want to be more relaxed. I want to be less hurried. I want to stop and See the blossom on the trees and smell the scent of the flowers.

I want to listen to birdsong. I want to make time for everything that life has to offer me. And in acknowledging That the choice is ours.

We bring ourselves to this wonderful place of growth and fulfilment. And we sit with this sense that we've. Taking a breath.

We've moved into that observing self. We've done a wonderful mindful check in as we lean. And we've come to a place.

Of decision And we've recognised that it is our choice. Of how I moved forward. From the moment this meditation.

And So before we Come to an end. Just get a sense of how you want to be. As we move forward.

In our lives today. Well done. And as we relax.

And come back to the room. We recognise that we can. Through the bold meditation perhaps once a day to ensure that we're connecting with that incredible sense of choice of Who we are and how we are.

Or maybe if I've got a sense of hurry up as so many vets do, I can quickly. Every now and then just stop and breathe, observing himself, lean in, make a decision. Takes 1015 seconds, that doesn't it?

And maybe if I make a commitment to a couple of bolds a day. Where will that take me? And if I combine that with the actual meditation.

Where will that take me? What changes will I bring to this life? And it's a sense of Congratulating yourselves now, everybody, for having taken the time.

To actually do something that could be life changing and positive. Because we should all Be doing a lot more breathing, observing, leaning in and deciding. So thank you very much for sharing this.

Exploration of the observing self. And I hope you enjoyed the meditation too. And I wish you joy of the virtual congress and have a really great learning experience and a wonderful good time.

So thank you so much and . I hope to see you soon, bye bye now.