Mindful Moments: Navigating the Whirlpool with Dobble

I like playing dobble it makes me happy, alone or with friends.

The design of the cards a puzzle to be applauded. It's a reality check for me, testing my myself, hoping to improve, experiencing growth. What is hijacking my focus? The dominant thought I have access to as i open the tin.

It serves as a mirror, reflecting the agility of my reactions and clarity of perception amidst a whirlpool of deceptive mental distractions.

The 'desire' to win, the need for 'relationships', yearning for safe stimuli to ground myself. Seeing what’s occupying my mind, that which stops me being present. The game beckons my mind to stray away from habitual rumination, slowing down the swirl of thoughts, memories, emotions and beliefs that float around my head. It helps me notice them and experience them without being trapped in them.

The respite, a gentle nudge pulling me away from the clutches of depression and anxiety. Offering a sanctuary where my mind can breath, unfettered by the ceaseless chatter of thoughts and memories,

Untangling attachments, spotting biases in my perception, with each shape colour and symbol that passes my eyes. The game activates and develops my sense of sight, touch and movement.

It helps me access memories and experiences, enhancing my focus and attention, like a session with a true healer.

It helps me be more present moment by moment, with each card I turn, gently challenging, nurturing and encouraging myself, to let go of the thoughts and reframe my relationship, with shapes colours and symbols.

As I become more neutral. It's an invitation into a realm of mindfulness, a chance to unshackle from the past and the worries of the future, the game gently grounds me, with that my environment starts to feel less stimulating and safer.

The game morphs into a conduit for self encoragment, a pathway for rekindling a bond with my younger self. The reassurance radiates hope, disassociation starts to slowly and safely fade, nurturing the belief that the realm of possibilities is boundless.

That was so much fun I say to myself smiling.