Mindfulness is a concept that most people are vaguely aware of, but few have explored it deeply. Essentially, it is based on Buddhist teachings which assert that people either ruminate on past events or speculate endlessly about the “ungraspable” future, rather than fully inhabiting the present moment. The fact is, the past is finished and the future never comes. We are always living in the present, and we should focus our thoughts and energies on the things happening around us. In Buddhist teaching, those who don’t practice mindfulness are “walking corpses”, never stopping to take a deep breath and be fully conscious of, and present with, themselves. As one Western psychologist defines the term: “Mindfulness is the process of engaging a full, direct, and active awareness of experienced phenomena that is spiritual in aspect and that is maintained from one moment to the next.”
How To Be Mindful
If Buddhist monks spend lifetimes in search of true mindfulness, how can we incorporate it into our hectic modern lives? It’s difficult, but there are a number of daily practices that will enable you to experience the benefits of fully engaging with the present.
1) Take A Deep Breath
From the most traditional Japanese monk to the most empirical Cognitive Behavioural Therapy practitioner, everyone teaching mindfulness will start with a focus on breathing. Pay attention to the way breathing feels, watch your belly rise and fall, and feel your heartbeat. You’ll immediately feel more grounded, and more connected to your body. You don’t need to take deep breaths or change any of your natural patterns. Just being aware of what your body is doing will deepen your ability to connect to the moment.
2) Think Less
Most people tend to let their minds wander, but thinking deeply about the future often leads to heightened anxiety and stress. You don’t need to obsess about what happened yesterday, or what might happen tomorrow. When you notice yourself over-thinking, over-analyzing, or obsessing, focusing on your breathing can bring you back to the present. The ability to simply “be” leads to happiness.
3) Use Your Senses
People tend to forget that they have five senses. To avoid going through life on auto-pilot, consciously focus on the sensory experiences that make life worth living. Appreciate the colours, textures, and smells of your lunch. Take your headphones out and listen to the sounds around you. Pet a cat. We often say that we should stop and smell the roses, but how often do we actually take a few moments to do it?
4) A Penny For Your Thoughts
Take a second to think about how many thoughts you’ve had in your life. There have been so many there’s no way you could put a number on it. Yet we tend to think of whatever thought is consuming us in a given moment as immensely important. A part of mindfulness is recognizing that thoughts are just thoughts. They don’t always need to be believed, expressed, or acted upon. Mindfulness will teach you that thoughts aren’t an essential part of who you are, they’re momentary impulses that can be positive or negative, ignored or taken seriously. There’s a reason why nobody offers a pound, a euro, or a dollar for them!
5) Stay Engaged
Notice when you tend to zone out and start daydreaming. Whether it’s driving, emailing, washing dishes, or even watching TV. Practice bringing more awareness to those activities, and fully engage with the task at hand. If you’re sweeping the floor, pay attention to the sound of the broom, the movements of the dust, the way the dustpan feels in your hand. You might find that if you aren’t rushing through chores and errands with an eye on the future, you’ll begin to take more pleasure from your daily routine. Part of mindfulness is making every moment count, and putting your energy into your life as you live it!
6) Take A Minute
You can start small. Set a timer for one minute, and devote that time to a total focus on your breathing. If you become distracted by a pesky thought, try to let go of it and come back to your breathing. Even one minute a day of meditation can dramatically reduce your levels of stress and aggravation.
7) Are You Really Listening?
When someone else is talking, we are often focused on our own internal monologues. Do we agree? What will we say next? What’s going on over there? Focusing all of our attention on a friend who is communicating with us is an act of kindness and love, and you’ll be surprised how many people notice, appreciate, and reciprocate with a person who is truly listening to them.
8) One Thing At A Time
Society has been pressuring us to multi-task for years, and smartphones have made it easier for us to talk, text, email, listen to music, and eat lunch all at the same time. But multi-tasking saps us of energy, increases stress levels, and makes us more prone to careless mistakes in everything we do. Taking the time to deal with tasks one at a time, and focusing all of our attention on what we’re doing allows us to actually be more efficient, and do a better job than we would while rushing through 20 things at once.
9) Examine Your Thoughts
Taking a clear-eyed look at what you’re thinking and why you’re thinking it is an essential part of being mindful. If you start doing this, you’ll notice thought patterns, and you can begin to unravel patterns of negativity. If you can take a step back from your thoughts, you’ll learn to question and control reactive, conditioned thought and behaviour. This is incredibly important for those in recovery!
10) Walk It Out
Walking is a great opportunity to practice mindfulness, even on your busiest days. Before you get moving, remind yourself to focus on the act of standing up, and putting one foot in front of the other. Pay attention to your body and your breath. Let your senses fill your mind with the sounds, sights, and smells of your neighborhood. A five-minute walk can be a golden opportunity to connect with yourself and the world around you!
Mindfulness In Recovery
At Tabula Rasa Retreat, we are convinced that practicing mindfulness is incredibly beneficial for those in recovery. Its power to improve mood, promote emotional regulation, and deal with negative thoughts and impulses can change lives! Mindfulness and meditation training are fundamental elements in our holistic treatment package. If you’re interested in a treatment center that promotes spiritual development as well as sobriety, don’t hesitate to get in touch today!
For further information visit www.tabularasaretreat.com or call PT +351 965 751 649 UK +44 7961 355 530