Mindfulness
Taking the first step: Active Mindfulness, do I need to close my eyes for this? Nope.
Mindfulness is a state of awareness that allows you to be present in each moment, paying attention to your surroundings, bodily sensations, and breathing in order to shift focus to your thoughts. When you’re able to embrace this quality, you can then control how reactive or overwhelmed you are by external influence.
Mindfulness is often used interchangeably with meditation, however, these are not one and the same. Mindfulness is a quality, while meditation is a practice. Meditation is just one of the many paths that are used to be mindful. Cultivating a change in your habits and routines as little or as big as it may seem to you is like planting a seed. You choose how that seed grows and importantly you nurture it, by paying attention. At the bottom, you’ll find different practice methods you can start using today, but always explore and find the right ones for you.
There are many ways to practice mindfulness, and remember to always customize your experience to match your preference with the assurance that you can explore and adapt as many applications as you need. Presenting Active Mindfulness is the understanding that this is an infinite and continuous practice, one that can be seamlessly ingrained into everyday life, and scientifically proven to improve overall health and wellbeing.
This state of awareness is keen on effectively reducing the amount of stress that can feel constant, our society has progressed rapidly to the stage of instant satisfaction and gratification, significantly impacting stress levels in both the business and personal aspects of our lives.
The truth is, you hold the keys to your control, and you have the opportunity to recognize that not only should you be accepting the desire to change but also accepting the rejection of that desire.
Therein lies the secret to mindfulness, it’s not simply accepting and enforcing what society labels “good”, it’s being fully present at the moment to recognize that your actions shouldn’t be labeled but explored.
Take those moments to identify the physical changes your body exhibits in all situations. Our body is constantly trying to maintain its own balance, for example practicing Mindful Eating would mean putting your attention to the meal in front of you, without distraction. You would then be able to pay attention to the cues your body gives you when you’ve eaten enough and know when to stop. Adversely, distracting yourself at a meal would lead to “mindless” satisfaction, perhaps you missed the cues your body gave and suddenly you reached the point that you ate too much! Maintain acceptance that ultimately you will find control as you strengthen your resilience and confidence.
Remember to keep personalizing your moments, curating memories that are peaceful and inviting, and actively be conscious of any stress you put on yourself. There’s no way to banish thoughts outright, but there are ways to recognize that the memory does not contain the emotion, think of it like a video on your camera roll, you can view it with an outside eye and rebuild how your future will look.
Try exploring some of these various methods of practice, starting with no time limits and progress at your comfort:
Meditation
Qi Gong
Yoga
Mindful Fitness (deliberate and controlled movements such as walking, swimming, Tai Chi)
Mindful Eating
Breathwork
And so many more!
Reap the benefits of being mindful:
Reduce Anxiety
Increase Body Satisfaction
Improve Cognition
Improve Clarity