Mindfulness is a state of purposeful attention to the present moment. When you are mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them as either good or bad.
If you´ve ever felt like your thoughts are spinning out of control and your emotions are pulling you in 20 different directions, then you are in the right place. Becoming more mindful is a way of slowing those reactive thoughts so you can focus on the here & now
…and make space for more joy in your life.
Mindfulness is having the ability to:
- Step into the moment
- Set judgement aside and cultivate an awareness of the true nature of things around and within you
Living mindfully
- Opens us up to a more reliable, compassionate, contented way of being
- Supports us in letting go of doubts, fears and continual comparison
Mindfulness can benefit each and every one of us.
When practiced daily, it frees the mind, gives us a feeling of inner peace and opens our hearts to loving — both ourselves and others.
For most of us, life seems anything but predictable — a whirlwind of change and emotion.
And this is where the beauty of mindfulness comes in…
There’s always this moment, right now, to begin again. To nurture a deeper awareness and tap into the brilliance that is you.
Use these 8 simple mindfulness exercises to step into the present moment today. Develop compassion for yourself and others. Begin your journey to a better understanding of your purpose and your place in this world.
And as you begin, remember this: The more patient the practice, the greater the reward.
Look Around You
It isn´t necessary to manipulate your feelings or your surroundings to stay rooted in the present; simply take notice of what´s going on around you and move on.
One of my favorite ways of regaining balance in the moment is to go for a walk. And when I do, I allow my mind to let go and just notice all the wonderful smells, sounds, objects and movement going on around me.
You can even do this right now, right where you are. Close your eyes for a moment and take a deep breath to quiet your mind a bit. Now open them and just sit. Sit and listen. Look around you, what do you see? What do you hear? What do you feel? Focus briefly on the weight of your feet on the floor, or the feel of your hands in your lap.
Tune In
Set an alarm to ring every few hours to remind you to stop what you’re doing and take a moment to tune into how you are thinking and feeling, right then. This is a simple way to bring your awareness back to center and keep yourself from being swept in the business of life.
The more you practice this, the easier it becomes to connect with and trust your intuition. Mindfulness helps us learn to listen to our inner brilliance — the voice we often ignore because it contradicts our logical mind. Begin listening and trusting your intuition. The results will speak for themselves.
Breathe
Inhale and slowly count to three, then exhale and do the same again. Use your whole body — feel the air move through your nostril, down through your throat, along your collarbones, down to your ribcage and into your diaphragm.
Feel the rush of fresh, oxygenated blood fill you with renewed energy and life.
Use Your Body
Clench your hands into tight fists and release. Clench. Release. Clench. Release. Do the same thing with your toes.
This a simple physiological exercise helps increase self-awareness and bring you quickly into the present moment.
Turn Down The Noise
Turn off your gadgets for a couple of hours: your TV, your smartphone, your tablet. Once you get used to being without these things for a while, you’ll discover just how nice the quiet can be.
Put A Focus On Listening
It’s a precious privilege to be able to listen intently and interact with others during a conversation. Being mindful of that privilege means offering your undivided attention for the duration of the conversation and being as mentally present as possible.
Speak Kindly
Begin noticing how you speak to those around you. Often preconceptions and misguided beliefs lead us to come across in a way that doesn’t truly reflect who we are deep down inside.
Frustrations, insecurities, fears and anger can dramatically affect the words we choose. Do you speak kindly to others, or have you into the habit of speaking in a harsh, careless tone? Do you come across as caring or critical?
Speak Kindly — To Yourself
We can only be as kind to others as we are to ourselves. Take a moment and think about how you speak to yourself. What is that inner voice continually saying? Is she cheering you on towards your goals or criticizing everything you do?
Be patient with yourself. Praise yourself when you do something well and forgive yourself when things don´t go as planned. None of us is perfect but every one of us is special, in our own unique way.
Mindfulness is a practice that needs prioritizing. To get the full positive affect, you need to put it as close to the top of your mental to-do list as possible.