The art of living mindfully seems to be a life-long practice but the basics are simple. Anyone can be mindful, anywhere, at any time. One doesn't require years of training, lots of money or a
specific belief system to be able to get it. You can be mindful right now, today, at this moment.
Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way:
That's it! Pretty simple, right?
The challenge comes in when we try to apply this to every area of our life. That's where a meditation practice can be beneficial. By practicing mindfulness through meditation, you learn to watch your thoughts and feelings as an observer. But you don't need to have a meditation practice to be able to be more mindful.
Paying attention to what you're experiencing and allowing whatever is happening to be there exactly as it is, can be done at any time. It's just observing without judgement, without trying to control your experience, without getting lost in your thoughts so you can experience what is happening right here, right now.
Imagine your awareness is like an ocean and you are looking up from under the surface of the water. Your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and experiences are like the surface - choppy at times, calm at others. But your awareness is way beneath the surface looking up, watching the waves as they go by without judging, without trying to control the movement of the water. Just watching, observing, being mindful.
I challenge you to take a moment right now to touch mindfulness, to see what it feels like if you haven't experienced it before, or to remind yourself of the feeling if you're familiar with it. (it seems we can never get enough reminders to be present)
All you need to do to find mindfulness is to focus on your breath. Feel it coming into your lungs and then leaving your body, follow it, experience it. Allow any thoughts or physical tension to fade away with every breath.
Take a moment or two to do that now...
Just breathe.
How did that feel? What was your experience like? How do you feel now compared to before, is there any change in your experience?
Try doing this small exercise of bringing your attention to your breath once a day. It can be done at any time, anywhere. All you need to do is remember to breathe and let everything be exactly as it is.
specific belief system to be able to get it. You can be mindful right now, today, at this moment.
Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way:
- on purpose
- in the present moment
- without judgement
That's it! Pretty simple, right?
The challenge comes in when we try to apply this to every area of our life. That's where a meditation practice can be beneficial. By practicing mindfulness through meditation, you learn to watch your thoughts and feelings as an observer. But you don't need to have a meditation practice to be able to be more mindful.
Paying attention to what you're experiencing and allowing whatever is happening to be there exactly as it is, can be done at any time. It's just observing without judgement, without trying to control your experience, without getting lost in your thoughts so you can experience what is happening right here, right now.
Imagine your awareness is like an ocean and you are looking up from under the surface of the water. Your thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and experiences are like the surface - choppy at times, calm at others. But your awareness is way beneath the surface looking up, watching the waves as they go by without judging, without trying to control the movement of the water. Just watching, observing, being mindful.
I challenge you to take a moment right now to touch mindfulness, to see what it feels like if you haven't experienced it before, or to remind yourself of the feeling if you're familiar with it. (it seems we can never get enough reminders to be present)
All you need to do to find mindfulness is to focus on your breath. Feel it coming into your lungs and then leaving your body, follow it, experience it. Allow any thoughts or physical tension to fade away with every breath.
Take a moment or two to do that now...
Just breathe.
How did that feel? What was your experience like? How do you feel now compared to before, is there any change in your experience?
Try doing this small exercise of bringing your attention to your breath once a day. It can be done at any time, anywhere. All you need to do is remember to breathe and let everything be exactly as it is.
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