Mindfulness 101 - Ritualizing The Right Now
Mental presence creates a deep sense of calm and clarity in a person, the opposite of what your overstimulated, therefore overactive (or hypervigilant) nervous system is experiencing every day.
Generally speaking, an overactive nervous system is the result of not taking time or creating space — regularly — to calmly connect with your true self and the world around you. Simple mindfulness practices sprinkled in throughout your day make that connection happen and they remind you of the preciousness of your life while making each moment even more special.
Mindfulness is action taken to allow your mind to be fully focused on the present moment, alleviating you of stressors from the past or future.
There’s a sentiment based on Buddhist teachings about paying attention to the here and now: “When doing the dishes, just do the dishes.” (Or, you know, insert whatever you’re doing at the time.)
The idea here is that instead of allowing your mind to race or rule the show with wandering, you consciously choose the thoughts you wish to focus on. In this case you choose to focus your mind completely on the task at hand.
Philosophically, the present moment is all there is. The past is over. The future has yet to come.
Of course, modern life keeps us replaying (or stress-tripping about) the past and planning for (or stress-tripping about) the future. But by actively choosing to fully focus on a present moment task at hand at least once a day, you begin to train your mind that YOU are not your thoughts. You are more than your thoughts. And, you can be here now, calmly embracing even the most mundane moments of your life with reverence and gratitude. By doing so you send a message to your nervous system that you’re safe and well and it’s alright to relax.
This is what I call Experiential Mindfulness (read below and I’ll share exactly how to do it). ↓
Here are two easy, effective practices you can begin immediately to become more mindful and thus, calmer, clearer, happier, and more connected to yourself and to all that matters most in your life:
1) Mindfulness Meditation
2) Experiential Mindfulness
Both of these can be daily rituals that brighten your day, and ultimately your whole life and the lives of those around you.
MINDFULNESS MEDITATION PRACTICE
Get your body into a comfortable seated position.
Close your eyes and begin slowing down your breath. Elongate inhales and exhales, breathing deeply for at least 10 breaths.
At the beginning, just let your mind run wild and watch all the places it traverses. Notice how quickly it can wander from one thing to another, related or not. Keep in mind that the mind’s job is to think and ultimately result in some sort of physical action. To expect to completely “empty” your mind is unrealistic. It’d be like asking your heart not to beat or your respiratory system not to breathe. But just as you can change the rhythm of your breath, you also can change the way your mind thinks thoughts and the way you receive them (or act on them).
Next, choose to allow the wander-y part of your mind to quiet a bit, becoming in effect background noise and then begin to really tune into your current moment:
First, listen to the sounds in your environment. Let your full attention fall on the sounds. Do you hear people or vehicles in your surroundings? Birds, a pet or another animal in the distance? Do you hear sounds from within your own body like ringing in your ears, tummy grumbles or the sound of your breath coming and going? Name what you hear without any judgement, just notice.
Second, notice any scents occurring in the here and now. By connecting to your senses, you’re becoming incredibly mindful and scent is a powerful sense that has the ability to take your mind on a journey of memories or thinking ahead. Simply notice if there are any scents, name them and let them go.
Next, notice sensation in your body — again, no judgment, just notice. How does the air feel on your skin or as it enters and exits your nose or mouth? How does your backside feel against your seat? Do you have any itches or aches? Name what you physically feel, fully noticing each sensation.
Lastly, notice any emotional sensations arising within you. Allow them to be fully experienced and released without any judgment. Instead, notice and greet your feelings with curiosity and openness.
Don’t try to change anything about the present moment. Instead, be with it. Relax into it. Offer gratitude to every part of this moment — even if you don’t know why you’d be grateful for a particular element of this moment. Just know that gratitude is a high vibrational frequency of energy that has the power to transform how you feel about and experience things.
If you get distracted by your thoughts, thank your brain for being such a miraculous thinking machine and then graciously tell yourself, “I see this thought, but now I’m focusing on the present. I hear / feel / smell…” and begin focusing on the right now again.
Remain here for several minutes. There’s no right or wrong length of time for you to meditate, but you do want to come out of meditation as gently as possible. So once you’ve fully experienced the present moment without getting caught up in distraction from all the thoughts running in the background, when you’re ready to transition back to your day, take 3 really deep, really long breaths. Roll your shoulders down and back and do head rolls in both directions. Softly, slowly open your eyes and notice everything in your visual field. Take a couple more conscious breaths here, offer gratitude to yourself for taking this healing, rejuvenating time, and then set the intention to pause to pay attention throughout the rest of your day.
EXPERIENTIAL MINDFULNESS
Experiential Mindfulness is the act of being wholly aware of an experience you are having in the moment you are having it.
Like in the example above, if you’re washing the dishes, you focus your mind 100% completely on the act of washing the dishes. You feel the water on your hands, noting the temperature and cadence as it runs from the faucet. You hear the water flowing or swishing or swirling in the sink. You become aware of the sensation of the sponge, rag or dish brush you’re using in your hand and against what you’re wiping. You notice the colors of each item you interact with. All the while offering gratitude for being alive in, and getting to experience this moment.
This moment that would normally otherwise be filled with distraction and/or overlooked as mundane suddenly becomes somewhat precious and important.
You can do mini versions of this exercise throughout your day. Try:
Taking a momentary break from work while at your desk to really take in the sights and sensations of the moment.
Fully feel your feet on the ground while walking from one room to another. Notice which part of your foot strikes the ground most softly or what kind of sensation refers from your foot up through your body as you step.
Practice being a truly active listener when someone else is talking to you. Don’t speak over them. Don’t think about what you’re going to say in response. Fully look into their eyes and hear every word they speak. Notice the rhythm of their words, the tone in their voice and their body language — all without judgment, just awareness. Breathe before speaking back and hold the intention to communicate clearly and compassionately.
I hope these practices enhance and, of course, brighten you life!
Let me know how they’re working for you as you practice them.
Cheers to living calmly, happily, more peacefully. In other words, brightly ever after!
XO! NamastYAY! Maggie
