“Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn
Most of us find ourselves stuck in a routine where we wake up and sleep with the same thought at the back of our mind – work, meetings, household chores etc. The chaos of everyday routine has drifted us away from the very essence of life and the ability to connect with our inner selves.
Practice mindfulness to eradicate this monotony of daily life. Indeed, living a mindful life is not easy because of the conditioned mind and the thoughts, feelings, and prejudice that accompany it. But anything is as tough as one imagines it, and mindfulness just requires practice and alteration in our habits.
What is mindfulness?
It is an ancient practice found in a different Eastern philosophies, including Buddhism, Taoism and Yoga. Mindfulness involves consciously bringing awareness to your here-and-now experience with openness, interest, and receptiveness. Being Mindful is about waking up, connecting with ourselves, and appreciating the fullness of each moment of life. It means cherishing the present for your own benefits and peace.
Here are some of the ways to cultivate mindful living….
1) Live in the Present
Most of us spend a lot of time either mulling over the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness involves stilling that mental noise and focusing on the here and now. Stop judging, over-analyzing, over-thinking and just be.
Focus your attention on what’s happening in the present, without judging or trying to change anything. A great way to do that is to sit down and focus on your breathing with a few deep breaths.
“Stop thinking of what you intend to do. Stop thinking of what you have just done. Then, stop thinking that you have stopped thinking of those things. Then you will find the Now, the time that stretches eternal, and is really the only time there is.” ~ Robin Hobb
2) Be mindful in daily activities
Bring awareness while performing your daily activities like driving to work, eating meals, sipping coffee, washing dishes, exercising, cutting vegetables, etc. When you bring mindfulness into your day-to-day activities, it calms down the racing mind, makes you aware of your actions, and leads to better health.
3) Savor your food
Be mindful of what you eat and when you eat. Savor each bite, instead of rushing through meals. You will become aware of what you are eating – the texture of the food, taste, and aroma, and appreciate it all the more. Mindful eating nourishes your body and helps in digestion as well.
4) Prioritise
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Prioritizing is an act of a mindful person. Don’t jumble up your routine like a puzzle. You can better manage stress and promote overall well-being by prioritizing self-care and setting aside time for activities that nourish your mind, body, and soul.
5) Slow Walking
In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we forget to slow down and take a pause. A very easy way to do that is by walking slowly.
Sometimes, I get this ‘opportunity’ to actually walk slowly with my 2-year-old daughter. We were coming back home, and I started walking at her pace, which was small toddler steps, without any hurry or purpose. We were walking like the most leisurely people who aren’t preoccupied in the world.
It felt so calming that I had no thoughts in my mind. Just the simple act of walking slowly was so meditative. Who would believe that? This is what Thich Nhat Hanh’s walking meditation is all about, I thought to myself.
It was a big lesson for me to slow down. Take baby steps towards cultivating mindful living. The rush of daily life can squeeze you dry.
6) Stop, breathe and feel
We keep accumulating anxiety, tension, and worries day after day. Relax. Spend some time each day doing nothing. Sit down and ask yourself, “How are you doing?” The simple act of breathing in and out restores our brain with that much-needed energy. Feel the beauty of silence, it will do you good.
According to research conducted by UCLA, one who practices mindfulness by using mindfulness-based techniques has a better ability to learn, memorize, and evolve continuously. Practicing everyday mindfulness can change the structure of our brains, beefing up the areas that control emotions and stress responses, and keeping the brain healthy and active.
Be mindful and be happy!
Cultivating Mindful Living
Reference
Practicing mindfulness changes the structure of the brain
Research conducted by UCLA – Link between meditation and brain symmetry
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