The Wheel of Awareness practice was created by Dr. Dan Siegel to increase integration in the brain.
He’s a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine and overall a really cool guy that was recommended to me by my therapist. He’s one of those educators that really knows how to bring together the science of the mind and ancient wisdom traditions in a way that respect both aspects.
Click play to listen now in your browser. The Career Confidence For Immigrants podcast is also available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
In the last 10 days I decided to do his Wheel of Awareness practice as part of a new morning routine I’m testing to see if I can prevent some of the symptoms from seasonal depression, now the days are getting shorter and we’re heading into winter here in Montreal.
I’m happy to say that the benefits of this guided visualization GREATLY outweigh the costs of having to wake up earlier and sit down for 30 minutes with my mind and body.
I have noticed that:
- I have more compassion for my fellow humans, including “difficult clients” in my businesses, because I don’t get so carried away by the fear of losing time or money, or the anger of finding out “who’s right and who’s wrong”
- My mind is a lot less chatty throughout the day, allowing me to focus better on the task at hand, and my anxiety is a lot less vocal too
- The tension in my neck – and ongoing jaw clicking problem – have improved due to the overall lower stress levels I’m experiencing (even my physical therapist noticed the change!)
While I discovered this practice in one of his paid courses I’m taking, all the information you need for this Wheel of Awareness practice is free on his website (links below) and I highly recommend it (and all of this comes from someone who does not enjoy “traditional” meditation)
YouTube Version (if you’re more visual)
Links
- The Wheel of Awareness Practice by Dr. Dan Siegel
- The course I’m taking from his Mindsight Institute called Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB)
- My personal IG that is now mostly music and dancing: @iamsoniaortiz
- The IG account for the podcast: @careerconfidencepodcast