Macpherson to share mindfulness tips during talk

A Winnipeg author, musician and motivational speaker will be at the Brandon Public Library this evening to talk about the power of positive thinking.

Keith Macpherson said his hope is to pass along techniques and exercises that can help people make better choices, and with any anxiety, stress and depression that they may be carrying around in their daily life.

"We’re living in a time where we are so bombarded by so much external noise," Macpherson said. "The creation of digital technology, and just like all of the choice that we have available, I think sometimes with all of that outside noise and opportunity and options it can be really hard to navigate."

Macpherson goes into more detail about how to stay positive and live in the present moment in his recently published book called "Making Sense of Mindfulness."

A good technique is to be aware of your movements throughout the day, he said. When you catch yourself feeling out of control and stressed or anxious, take a minute and pause.

"One of the best things you can do is just take a deep breath to come back into the present moment," he said.

In his research, he has discovered that most thoughts people have that come up in their mind are actually chronic negative thoughts, he said, but, people can change that mindset into something more positive.

His book details five principles to help people integrate mindfulness practice into their daily life.

The first principle he discusses is called inner dreaming. It’s based on the concept that everything begins as an inner dream in the imagination. It’s important to reflect on what you’re actually thinking about on a regular basis, he said. The second principle looks at what is getting in the way of how you might want to live life.

"It’s really about exposing those things and naming them so that they are no longer holding power over us," he said.

Principle three is all about moving toward your life purpose, he said. Instead of staying in places with false safety, open your mind up to what’s possible.

The fourth principle is called "living mindfully," and looks at the connection between mind, body, and spirit, and how those three aspects work together. The last principle is called "I am."

"It’s about our perspective and how we choose to see the world and how we navigate that way," he said.

Macpherson will be incorporating music into his interactive talk today. The guitar player, who was a top finalist on "Canadian Idol" in 2006, said he’ll be playing a couple of songs for the audience.

Admission is free. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. at the library, located at 710 Rosser Ave.

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