Do you feel like you never have the time to slow down and practice the Mindfulness you 'Promised' you would do today?
Don't panic or beat yourself up! We know what that's like and appreciate how difficult it can be to find 10 minutes for the things that are good for us, let alone 45 minutes to sit and practice your mindfulness in a quiet & beautiful setting. This post will show you how you can incorporate mindfulness meditation into your daily life, without having to completely down tools. Read on to discover how Mindful Living is the answer...
The reality is, not many of us will or can justify sitting down to meditate for extended periods of time, as much as we might like to; even though we know it’s good for us!
Mindfulness can be made up of formal and informal practices. Formally sitting, listening to guided meditations aren’t always possible, so why not look at informal ways to bring Mindfulness into your daily life or Mindful living.
Here’s my top tips for enhancing Mindful living and utilising every day life opportunities.
Engage the senses at any given opportunity
1. Before you even get out of bed
Before you get out of bed, take 3 deep breathes: breath in for 3 seconds and exhale out of the mouth for 4 seconds. Take a moment to stretch the body.
2. Making a Cup of tea/Coffee
Listen to the sound of the water boiling in the kettle and hear the different tones as the water reaches boiling point.
3. Brushing your teeth
Observe the taste of the tooth paste; notice if you can smell the toothpaste and observe the sensation and body movements in the arm as you brush your teeth.
“Learn to pause...or nothing worthwhile will catch up to you.” Doug King
4. Having Breakfast
How do you make your choice of what to eat? What thought processes occur? Just observing any thoughts that arise with no judgment - just noticing. Tune into your tummy... Are you hungry? Do you know how your tummy feels when hungry?
5. Getting dressed
How do you make your clothing choices? Feel the temperature of the air. Look out of the window at the weather and the sky. What are the feelings and sensations of the clothing on the skin as you get dressed?
6. Taking a shower
Spend a few moments feeling the sensation of the water on your skin, the water temperature and the smell of the body wash.
7. Before you eat lunch
Look at the food you're about to eat and notice the colours and the texture of the food as you eat; observe the sensation of the jaw and the teeth as you chew. Notice the taste and the smell of the food. Once you’ve finished eating, what experience are you left with?
Eat like a Tortoise! Slow down and take the time to appreciate your meal.
8. Before you text or email
Take a deep breath; how do you feel? We can often send texts or emails when experiencing negative emotions and sometimes these emotions can have an impact on what and how we write/communicate with others, so tune into how you feel before you hit send.
9. Taking a walk
Even if you're just walking to and from the car/bus/train, notice the movement of the body as you move. Notice what happens with your limbs as you walk; observe, but don’t judge any pain or discomfort you may be feeling. Bring a sense of gratitude to the body for simply being able to move and walk.
10. Driving the car
Tune into the journey and take a deep breath before you start the engine. Pay attention to your sitting position. Are you comfy? As you drive, notice your surroundings and if you can, turn off auto pilot and observe the journey. If you stop at traffic lights, take the opportunity to take a few deep purposeful breaths before the lights change .
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These are some of my very brief Top Tips for Mindful Living. Although they might seem a little strange and insignificant, it's the small things that happen in our day that are the things that connect us to the present moment.
Becoming present in our day to day activities helps us develop Mindful living and supports wellbeing; reducing the impact of over-thinking, stress and anxiety. Mindful living is your connection to the present moment, so be kind to yourself and any time you think about it, just engage the senses. Oh, and don’t forget the occasional Smile!
If you'd like to learn how to change your life with mindfulness, then please consider following us on Facebook for Mindfulness tutorials, meditations, lifestyle tips & inspiration.
Thanks for taking the time to visit our site and reading our blog post. We welcome your thoughts, comments, suggestions, and questions.
Much Love
Jessie x
