What is Mindfulness?
Although practices like meditation and journaling can certainly help, they are only part of what it means to be mindful.
Mindfulness is the deliberate cultivation of a state of heightened
awareness and undivided attention to the events and sensations of the
here and now, free of judgment or analysis.
By not letting your thoughts and emotions derail you from the task at
hand, mindfulness allows you to fully appreciate the good moments as
they occur and boosts your cognitive abilities.
If you can reduce your susceptibility to distractions, you’ll be able
to better manage your time, reducing your stress levels because you
won’t have to rush to do everything at the last minute.
How To Be Mindful
For a mindful practice, you can utilize anything that draws your
attention. What you’re doing now can serve as a trigger, or you can use
music, a physical sensation, an image, or anything else. The best time
to start mindfulness training is right now, and the best way to get
started is up to you.
Mindfulness practice is a neuroplasticity training. Most of us can’t
seem to escape the world of instantaneous information and communication
made possible by smartphones.
Constant stimulation and diversions condition our brains to anticipate flashing images we might not be interested in.
Even though it may be tempting, we gain nothing from checking social
media sites while we should be eating. However, this spoils our
experience of the food, the atmosphere, and the people with whom we’re
sharing it.
Remember that practicing mindfulness is not a race or a quest for
perfection. Ignore any guilt you may feel if you find yourself
distracted. Simply recognize the distraction and bring your attention to
your original mindfulness goal.
Ways to Master Mindfulness
Being in “the moment” and completely at peace with it is the essence
of “mindfulness.” You have presence awareness, environmental awareness,
and the capacity to respond without reacting.
Although it comes naturally to us, being mindful is a learned skill.
Instead of checking your phone while waiting in line at the supermarket,
try taking a few deep breaths and focusing on your immediate
surroundings and the sensations they evoke.
Enhance your wellbeing with the steps below to achieve mindfulness.
Steps to Mindfulness
The past is not where we belong. Our eternal abode is not in the
future. This very moment is where our hearts and minds should be. Our
home is in the present moment, for that is where life is to be found.
Happiness is a byproduct of the energy we put into noticing and
appreciating the sources of joy already here. Happiness like this can be
yours right now, without having to wait a decade. It permeates every
part of your day.
Some of us are still here and have no idea about it. But when you
take a deep breath and pay attention to it, you experience a miracle:
you are alive. That’s why finding time to practice mindfulness can bring
so much joy.
Mindful breathing
Although the first exercise is quite easy, the potential power and the outcome can be substantial.
This practice consists of merely recognizing each inhales and exhale
for what they are. When you take a deep breath, you recognize it as an
inhalation. Knowing that you are exhaling helps you focus on the
process.
Simply acknowledge that as you inhale, you also exhale. Extremely straightforward and uncomplicated.
You have to bring your attention back to yourself before you can properly identify your in-breath as such.
Your mind is what you’re doing when you notice your in-breath, and
your in-breath is what you’re noticing and practicing awareness of.
Having a mindful attitude requires constant awareness. Mindful tea consumption is referred to as “mindfulness of drinking.”
Mindful walking is doing so with an awareness of the present moment.
Mindfulness of breathing occurs when you pay attention to each inhale
and exhale.
Train your mind to be present and focused
The second exercise involves paying close attention to each inhale and exhale for a meditation session.
What’s crucial is that you pay attention to your inhalation from
start to finish. Your level of consciousness remains stable. No breaks
are occurring.
Let’s say you’re inhaling deeply when a thought comes to mind that pulls your attention away.
Just remember to keep taking deep breaths in. The next step is to
train your mind to be present and focused. As you focus on your
breathing, you transform into your inhale and exhale.
If you keep going like that, you’ll notice that your breathing has
become deeper and slower, more in sync with your body and mind. You
won’t even need to try; it’ll develop independently.
Awareness of Your Body
The exercise itself is straightforward, but the profound sense of
unity it induces is well worth the effort. Regularly, most of us don’t
find ourselves in such a precarious position.
Our physical selves are present, but our cognitive selves are
elsewhere. Our thoughts may be elsewhere due to regrets, sadness, fear,
or uncertainty from the past or the future.
Someone could be physically there in the house, but his thoughts would be elsewhere.
His focus is on his goals and plans for the future rather than on his
family. You could assist him in reacquainting his consciousness with
his body by asking, “Anyone home?”
Releasing Tension
The next move is tension-relieving physical activity. The presence of
stress and tension in the body is readily apparent to those truly in
touch with their bodily sensations.
Our bodies feel the strain and pain we’ve ignored for so long, but
our minds aren’t around to offer any relief. As a result, learning
techniques for relieving muscular tension is crucial.
Relaxation is possible in any position, whether sitting, lying down,
or standing. Complete and profound relaxation is a skill that can be
honed in a seated or a prone position.
A red light may serve as a psychological reminder of the internal
stress caused by the desire to get somewhere as quickly as possible.
Knowing this, you can benefit from the red light by taking ten seconds
out of your day to sit back, breathe deeply, and let go of whatever
stress you may be carrying.
How do you Master Mindfulness?