Be aware of the volume, cadence, tempo, the uniqueness of the sounds. Listening to some relaxing music before you leave the house in the morning is a great way to center yourself. So it’s a great place to start focusing on the present moment. When you drink tea of coffee, sip slowly and be mindful of the taste, temperature, and subtle effect it has on your body. Instead of running around the house and trying to do everything before the kettle boils, sit quietly and listen intently to the water bubble or the kettle whistle. Most of us rush to get our clothes on, but when you get dressed in the morning, take a second to pay attention to the way they feel on your skin, the texture of the material, and the warmth that they provide. Showering.Īs you take a shower, spend a minute or two just feeling the water on your skin notice the temperature, the pressure, and the sounds as it falls. Try to be completely engaged in the activity, putting all your attention into the folding of the sheets. Making your bed first thing in the morning is a great opportunity to practice mindfulness. Make sure to focus on your breathing and the sensations of the stretch. Then as you breathe out, relax, lean forward, and try to touch your toes. When you first stand, take a deep breath in and stretch your hands as high as you can toward the ceiling, fingers pointing straight up. This will have the double benefit of quietening your mind and giving your brain an oxygen boost to get you out of bed. Waking up.Īs soon as you wake up, before you get out of bed, take three deep breaths. Then try adding one a week until you can incorporate all of them into your life. You definitely don’t have to start with all of them in fact, I’d start by choosing three or four to practice. Think of each situation as a trigger to bring you back to the present moment. How to Use These Practices to Cultivate Laser-Sharp Focus I hope they make as big a difference to your life as they have done mine. The ideas below are an extension of our conversation. I wanted to see how I could help, so I wrote him an email listing each and every way that I had tried to bring mindfulness into my life. Small daily mindfulness practices had ended up being a perfect stepping stone to longer meditation sessions.Ī few months later a friend of mine was struggling with his work, much in the same way I had. So I did the same the next day, and the next, till I’d gone a month meditating every single day. I set my alarm for twenty minutes, focused on my breath, and followed through till my alarm buzzed. One morning a few months later I sat down to meditate. I was calmer, more focused, and my mental health was improving. A moment here, a moment there, and surprisingly quickly it became a habit. I could be mindful at any time and just fit it into my normal day-to-day activities. I found that I didn’t need to take a big chunk out of my time out to practice it. I’d do two or three days in a row, then I’d skip one, then two, then a week, and suddenly I’d give up. So I tried to throw myself into meditation. I was never fully committed to either work or play, and as I result I wasn’t able to appreciate either. Instead, without the structure that I was accustomed to at home, I was stuck in a perpetual state of work-related anxiety.Īs the stress continued to build, I got the uncomfortable feeling that I was squandering the opportunity of a lifetime. I should have been looking forward to the next exciting meal, going out and meeting interesting new people, or just appreciating the sights and sounds of an unfamiliar city. Suddenly I was the other side of the globe, with no family and often no friends. When I moved away from home to make a living as a freelance writer and travel the world, it only got worse. You have deadlines to meet, food to prepare, bills to pay, kids to raise, family members to call-and even that’s barely scratching the surface.īefore I found mindfulness, I struggled with concentration for years. You understand the benefits, and you’d really like to commit to it. If you are attentive, you will see it.” ~ Thích Nhất Hạnh, Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Lifeĭo you ever feel like you’re too busy for meditation? “The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.
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