Mindfulness 101

By Melissa | 5 January 2018 |

Mindfulness 101

To start this post,  I am going to channel my inner En Vogue and say, “Free your mind and the rest will follow!”  Very, very wise words ladies.  Letting go of your thoughts and calming the mind can really have a positive influence on your ability to overcome challenges and cultivate success! 

Photo of Melissa in meditative position with text overlay "Your calm mind is the ultimate weapon against your challenges, so relax...."

Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on the present moment. You learn to become more aware of your thoughts and feelings in a nonjudgmental way. It’s a way to create space for your thoughts.  It’s a time to think, breathe and reflect without becoming overwhelmed.  Focusing on your breath helps you stay grounded without getting too lost in your thoughts. If you feel your mind wandering, you can always come back to your breath- and i just love that concept!  This is something you can practice daily and it is for everyone.  We all already posses mindfulness anyway….did you know that?? Here are some basics to help you get started!!

  1. Environment- Practice mindfulness in a quiet and peaceful environment that is free of distraction(  living room, lanai, sun room, yoga room, car(yes, i said car…))
  2. Set a time limit that you feel comfortable with- Just start with 5 minutes and gradually increase your practice
  3. Make sure you are comfy- start to recognize how your body feels (tense shoulders, neck etc, relax your muscles and let the stress go)
  4. Begin to take notice of your Breath- this helps you to stay within the present moment and connect
  5. Be aware of your wandering mind- this will be expected to happen and that is OK!  Take a mental note of those thoughts and realize when it starts to wander and re-connect with your breath.

That’s it!  Really, that is it! Mindfulness is a simple practice, but at the same time challenging. If you are consistent with it though, you will begin to just naturally find time to calm the mind and take in the present moment.  Eventually, mindfulness can help you become more productive, focused and rational. With consistency and discipline, the practice can help to reduce stress, increase your connection with others and reduce rapid thoughts a.k.a. the racing mind.

Would love to hear your thoughts on Mindfulness!! How can this practice help you??

Posted in HEALTH, Mindfulness, MOTIVATION, Psychology, Reduce Stress, Self-Care, WELLNESS and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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