Life is available only in the present moment ~ Thich Nhat Hanh
Meditation & Mindfulness enables us to BE in the present moment. By focusing on what we are doing in each and every moment throughout our day, rather than drifting back into the past or jumping too far ahead and worrying about what the future holds, we are able to begin to live our lives from a place of happiness - of clarity - of gratitude.
When we are too focused on the future, we bring about stress and anxiety as the reality is we only have this very moment, then the next, then the next, and so on. Taking life one moment at a time allows us to live it fully, enjoy it fully, the good moments and the more difficult ones. The vast majority of us are rushing through life on auto pilot missing the good moments and trying to forget or block out the not so good ones. Living in the past can cause depression and when we do this we are denying ourselves the opportunity for new positive experiences to enter our lives, that we might otherwise miss if we are not focused on what is right in front of us. Right here in the NOW - You see, life is but a string of moments that form a story - Your story.
So...How do I become more Mindful?
Meditate
Meditation is one of the best ways to become more mindful simply because you are becoming quiet and focusing on the present moment. Nothing else matters and everything else can wait. It is a time for you to come back to a place of peace and calm and everyone deserves that time for themselves each and every day. Life is busy and can be completely chaotic at times but 5 minutes is all you need if that is all you can spare. It will make a difference to your life and the more you do it, the more you will find that you do have more time to spend doing it. You will become more organised, less stressed so that your life will flow more easily which will free up some extra time for you. It is so important for all of us to give ourselves some time each day just to disconnect from everything and take a breath.
Other ways to incorporate Mindfulness into your day are:
Being present when you eat - sit down when you eat and chew slowly. Don't rush your meals.
Being present when you clean - take your time focusing on what you are doing as you are cleaning. You will experience a stronger sense of accomplishment when you are finished. You will feel more centred and calm without all of those thoughts racing through your head.
Being present when you exercise - focus on each movement you make as you walk, run, do yoga, cycle, swim etc. You will get so much more out of your workout this way.
Being present at work - multi-tasking is something we have been told we need to be able to master for years. The reality is that multi-tasking is not really possible. We can quickly switch between multiple tasks but we can not do multiple things at once. So with that in mind, don't try as it is will only cause you to feel stressed and anxious. Focus on one task, then the next. You will accomplish what you need to do more efficiently than trying to do everything at once.
Here are some more ways........Drink water, Write in a journal, Smile in the mirror, Do yoga, Make your bed every morning, Shower mindfully Spend time in nature, Colour in.
As you can see there are a multitude of ways to incorporate Mindfulness into your daily life which are really easy. Start with one thing and then add another. Don't put pressure on yourself about any of it and just do what feels right for you.
Narelle x
Comentários