How to Take Charge of Your Mind
‘The gift of learning to meditate is the greatest gift you can give yourself’ – Sogyal Rinpoche
When people think of mindfulness, they usually think of meditation and how difficult it can be, and then most likely forget anything mindful all together as it seems too hard. And don’t get me wrong, this can be the case with meditation – it isn’t always easy. What I wanted to talk about today was other ways to be mindful without having to commit to a full-on daily meditation practice. It is proven that mindfulness practice supports the mind to be more clear, focused and effective. I promise you that mindfulness can have a huge impact on all areas of your life, and you can start with some really simple steps.
Breath Awareness
This is so simple, and it can be done anywhere. All you need to do is focus on your breathing. Focus on your breath in and breath out. Feel your chest rise as you breathe in and feel it compress as you breathe out. The idea is to become fully aware of only the present moment and focusing on your breath will help you achieve this. I steal these moments in the shower, or in the car – wherever and whenever I can really!
Make Time for Your Mind
It sounds silly, but scheduling time in your calendar to be mindful will make it a priority and also help you remember to do it! It only has to be 5 minutes. There are some great short meditation apps out there like HeadSpace, that you can do before you even shower in the morning.
Eat Intentionally
Another way to being yourself into the present moment it to eat mindfully. How often do you rush through breakfast or lunch because you have a perceived urgency for something? Take your time and eat slowly. Notice the taste of your food, chew it thoroughly and really enjoy it!
Get Your Yoga On
Yoga is another great activity that brings you into the present moment and you are concentrating on the poses and also your breath. I personally use YogaGlo, an online yoga program. It’s great because you can use it on your iPad or phone, and they offer short yoga sessions which sometimes is all we have time for!
My eBook, Simple Steps to Health, talks more about the importance of mindfulness and some more practices you can implement in your day.
Mindful in May is a great campaign if you are interested in starting a mindfulness practice. It’s a campaign with a cause – check it out.
