4 SIMPLE PRACTICES TO LIVE INTO MINDFULNESS DAILY!
I’m here but I’m not here… certainly we have all had those lapses in time where we wonder how we even got there, oblivious to a situation from being sunk in thought, numb from emotional distress, stressed and suspended at the top of our inhale, well… mindfulness invites us to live into it.
Right now take a deep breath… I N H A L E … and slowly E X H A L E …
An explosion of mindfulness has scattered throughout from social portals, books and stores that call out tous with ways to navigate more mindfully to ultimately support our wellbeing. Mindfulness may be describedas a way to actively notice any experience that is happening in the moment. Living into it, being present. In a culture that is constantly pushing and constantly over stimulating it becomes more and more difficult. We have come to understand the constant push and stimulation becomes overtaxing to our nervous system and this stress infiltrates our bodies as our head spins resulting in decline in both physical and mental well being. Therefore, the need to act is in the now! How do we live into this way, practice, state, being, with our overscheduled lives, and in the challenges and difficult times? Well, at the heart of mindfulness we are invited to open to our moment-to-moment experience(s). At all times and in suffering, the challenges, difficulty, in stress and anxiousness; the experience that is happening in the moment, we are invited to actively notice, live into it and remain open with a loving spacious awareness. Mindfulness calls us to turn toward with acceptance and lean hardinto rather then run away from. Within our human experiences this may seem so far reaching at times although there are numerous ways we can slowlycultivate mindfulness practices so that when we are hit with experiences that pull us so far from our center we may find the tools that not only can help us manage but allow us to settle back to a balanced centered state/baseline quicker.
Mindfulness techniques such as meditation and deep breathing are effective ways to unburden the mental load, and help us when intense emotions arise. We know stress and rumination rob us of creativity and the ability to flow and be in the moment therefore stress reduction and stress busting techniques/practices help us to cultivate acceptancerather then remaining strongly attached to the stressors thereby allowing us to stay in the flow. This moment-to-moment awareness through techniques and practices is a generosity worthy of gifting ourselves for our health, longevity and well being.Which then in turn will then be a gift to others. Thisinfectious awareness is a beautiful antidote for the human experience of remembering “self” – “centered”, in a state of be-ing, present.
For you … ♥️
Take note: It is always important to take responsibility for your own emotional safety and not to push yourself through something in the moment that doesn’t feel right. A practice may build the resiliency;acceptance and infinite love that can soften something that feels hard however go slow and give yourself Grace. Although there may be a common thread of this shared human experience the degree of pain, difficulties, challenges and suffering is different for everyone. Cultivating awareness of the moment-to-moment experience in a balanced manner fosters presence of mind to respond in a new way such as; how we take in the world around us, how we respond to our situations, how we talk to ourselves etc.
4 SIMPLE PRACTICES TO LIVE INTO MINDFULNESS DAILY!
1.) Tap into micro moments! Through the course of your day can you develop, integrate and practice leaning into moments more holistically when you are hurrying-scurrying about and mind is in overwhelm? Are you aware of the hurry-scurry and the wound up thoughts? Can you invite yourself to drop into the moment and catch your breath, to pause, settle and sink deep into a long slow deep breath to reset?Tapping into these micro moments to be present can reap great benefits. For instance, taking a momentwhen you sit in your car before driving away, a moment when washing your hands, a moment when walking to and from destinations, a moment before having your meals, all these micro moments add up to many moments of cultivating present awareness. These moments afford us real time moments, living in the moment, being present and not multi-tasking or distracted by your phone. These micro moments can then develop into fuller moments. And in these moments there presents an opportunity to observe in the moment your tone – how you feel, your headspace along with deeper engagement of the experience you are having or situation your present in, focus and even to calm yourself depending on the experience of the moment.
2.) Cut the overwhelm, the phone dinging, scrolling endlessly, to do lists etc. Accept what can and cannotbe done, soften the need to do everything and power down or in other words unplug. Find balance-makingtime for a mindful moment. Try actively noticing one experience in a moment – maybe go through all the senses focusing on something very simple. Observe your thoughts and emotions without attachment. The unsatisfied mind will always keep you in a tiresome loop of this and that. Observe with that awareness and watch the thoughts float by. If you plan your week do an audit of yourself – am I giving my mind and body what it needs to feel recovered, calm and balanced? Am I navigating mindlessly or mindfully?
3.) Try this short practice – Inhale “I am breathing in” Exhale “I am breathing out” at any given time of day/moment to awaken, reset, when overwhelmed, to down regulate, to be present. It’s a win every time you bring your mind back when it tries to unseat you – “strengthening” it will not only help you to gain more focus but harness the ability to settle back to your baseline when emotions are overwhelming. The key is consistency, little bits everyday, as it is a life long practice.
Carve out time to practice long slow deep breathing perhaps starting with the micro moments and building to a daily allotted time for 3, 7, 11 or 21 minutes in the morning and again in the evening (or anytime of day that fits into your schedule). Using a breath ratio of 5:5 (inhale for a count of 5 and exhale for a count of 5) with a brief pause at the turnaround at the top of inhale and at the bottom of the exhale. If your lung capacity is greater you can increase the breath ratio to 6:6, 8:8 or 10:10 however be sure the breath pattern is comfortable and not forced but rhythmic.
4.) Muv your body! Showing up and being present with your body through muvment and breath is a great mindfulness practice. Getting outdoors is also a greatplace to build mindfulness practices.
Being mindful in our practices spills over into our everyday lives. Invite these micro and/or macro moments into your day(s) and harness the potency of presence. Take mindful walks, get outdoors (walking in nature reduces stress) in the natural sunlight, breathe deeply and grab moments of mindfulness as you move through your day(s). Nourish mindfully with whole foods and proper hydration. Prioritize rest, sleep is when the body repairs itself, cleans up cellular damage, strengthens the immune system and is the foundation for waking up as the best version of ourselves. The need for recharging your nervous system, easing mind and providing the body with all the necessary elements needed for day to day and recovery is vital for long-term health. Live into the moment!
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