Practice Being Mindful
"The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it." - Thinch Nhat Hahn
We all have the power to be mindful and to live in the moment. And, we've all heard that this is the key to living a more fulfilled life. It is available to us at every moment if we make an effort to recognize it and appreciate it. Yet, how many of us practice it regularly?
Simply put, being mindful means being in tune with yourself. Being aware of your thoughts, your emotions, and how you are feeling both physically and mentally.
Some things to keep in mind before you practice mindfulness:
- The ultimate goal is for you to be able to focus on the present moment without judgment. To attempt to bring your mind back to the present moment.
- Understand and expect that your mind will wander. There is no natural way to completely quiet your mind. That's ok. That isn't necessarily the goal. It is natural for our mind to want to wander anywhere else than where we are. Just focus on bringing it back as best you can.
- If you key in on noticing that your mind has wandered, you can consciously bring it back to the present moment. The more you recognize this happening, and the more that you can do this, the easier it will become in time.
- Learn to enjoy the moment and your ability to live in the moment as it happens.
- Understand that, although it may sound simple, it doesn't necessarily mean it will be easy, especially at first. It takes repetition, consistency, and practice.
- Remember, any mindfulness practice is better than no mindfulness practice. Regularity will be essential. Make it a habit. Prepare for it. Schedule it. Make it a priority and a commitment.
- Ultimately, you must remember: The practice of mindfulness includes open-mindedness and acceptance of things & present circumstances as they are, without judgment. There is no right or wrong. (I will repeat this over and over again)
How to practice mindfulness:
- Find a place that feels as calm and quiet as can be. It doesn't need to be perfect or completely silent. But it does help you to focus, especially at first. (Acceptance, there is no right or wrong)
- As stated, at first, it may not be easy. So it may help to set a short time limit to do this initially. Maybe 5 or 10 minutes for your first attempts and to get into the habit. It's ok. You can increase it as necessary and as you progress. (Acceptance, there is no right or wrong)
- The idea and the keys are to be aware of yourself and of your body.
- Notice your body. It doesn't matter how you are sitting or lying. Just be as comfortable as possible.
- Notice your breathing. Feel your breathing. Follow the sensation of your breath going in and out. Control it. Create a rhythm.
- Notice your thoughts when they begin to wander and simply return your attention to your breathing.
- Notice yourself relaxing and releasing all stress, fear, worry, tension. Focus on the moment.
What mindfulness can do for you:
- With regularity, it may be able to help boost your immune system.
- It can help reduce unnecessary stress and relieve yourself of tension.
- It can increase positive emotions and reduce negative emotions.
- It has a positive effect on the brain itself. It increases the density of grey matter in the brain that is commonly linked to learning, memorization, emotional control, and understanding & empathy for others.
- It can increase your focus & attention skills and your ability to tune out or eliminate distractions.
- It can help you relax and sleep better.
Control what you can control: Yourself, your thoughts, your beliefs, your feelings and emotions, your actions, and your reactions to the things going on in your life and in the world. Suppose you can practice being more aware of who you are, where you are, and what you are doing. This can help to offset the unnecessary need to get caught up in or become overly reactive to all of the potentially overwhelming things that are going on around you.
The best thing about it is you can practice being mindful anytime, anywhere without the need to buy anything else. Just yourself, your mind, a place to practice, and a little bit of time. If you aren't in practice or haven't been in practice, now is the time. Be kind to yourself.
Make today great!
Curtis
"Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind." - Roy T. Bennett
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