How to Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation in which you concentrate on being acutely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the present moment, without interpretation or judgment. Mindfulness involves guided imagery, breathing techniques, and other practices that help relax the body and mind and reduce stress.

It is exhausting to spend too much time planning, problem-solving, daydreaming, or thinking negative or random thoughts. It increases your chances of experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Mindfulness exercises can help you shift your focus away from this type of thinking and engage with the world around you.

Observe breathing   

Your breathing is rhythmic and natural. It transports you from your mind to your body when you pay attention to it.

You are temporarily free of your racing thoughts, worries, and fears, and you are reminded of your true identity — your inner spirit, not your thoughts.

Pause between the actions 

Before answering the phone, pause and listen to the sound of it ringing.

Before starting your day’s work, take a moment to feel the weight of your body in your chair.

Before you close your front door at the end of the day, take a moment to feel the handle.

Adding mini-pauses to your day can help you reconnect with your inner being, clear your mind, and recharge your batteries for the next task.

Consider it as putting energetic bookends at the beginning and end of each activity.

Mindful eating 

You miss out on the delicious taste and smell of your food when you eat on autopilot while distracted by the television, computer, or constant conversation. You’re also less likely to feel satisfied or nourished because you ‘missed out’ on eating.

It’s a good idea to remember the phrase “When you eat, eat.” Drink when you’re thirsty.

In other words, don’t try to multitask when you sit down to a meal, coffee, or green juice. Simply concentrate your entire attention on what is in front of you.

Observe your thoughts and emotions 

You are not your thoughts; rather, you are their observer. The fact that you can hear them demonstrates that they are not you. You are something higher and distinct.

You can be more present by simply becoming aware of your thoughts and nonjudgmental observing them as they come and go, like clouds in the sky. You are not becoming engrossed in your thoughts, forgetting that they are not you.

As you observe, resist the urge to follow a particular thought down a rabbit hole into the past or future. Consider your thoughts to be trains at a station; you’re on the platform watching them come and go, but you’re not going to board and ride.

Connect with senses

Touch, smell, taste, sound, and sight are your portals into the present moment. However, when you are lost in thought, you are not aware of what your senses are picking up. Take a moment to enjoy the lovely aroma of your coffee. The salty sea breezes. The beauty and variety of flowers in your area. The tantalizing aroma of wood-fired pizza wafting from your neighborhood Italian restaurant as you pass by. Take note of how your clothing feels against your skin. In the morning, the soft clean bed sheets on your skin. The warm comforting kiss of your lover. The grass beneath your feet. The sensation of water and suds on your hands while doing the dishes. Put love and attention into your daily tasks, and you’ll be surprised at how much joy and peace they can bring you. 

Live in flow of doing things you love 

We all have activities that we enjoy doing because they connect us with our inner spirit and make us feel fully alive.

Cooking, dancing, singing, gardening, writing, painting, bushwalking, swimming, or building Ikea furniture could be activities for you.

We enjoy these activities so much that we frequently lose ourselves in them. That is, we lose touch with our smaller selves – our racing thoughts and worries – because we are focusing all of our love and attention on the present moment. Increase your happiness by incorporating more flow activities into your weekly routine.

Meditate Daily 

There’s no getting around it: meditation has enormous benefits, including increased energy, happiness, inspiration, and inner peace.

It doesn’t have to be complicated Life changes in just 10 minutes a day. It will also help to strengthen your mindfulness muscles, making it much easier to stay present throughout the day.

Practice listening

When others speak, we are usually in our heads trying to figure out how we will respond. We tune out about halfway through before the person has finished their thought. Try active listening the next time you have a conversation, where you focus your entire attention on the other person.

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