"Mindfulness is the gentle effort to be continuously present with experience." I absolutely love this definition from wildmind.org. It emphasizes that it does not require a full throttle effort to maintain mindfulness. It is "gentle," soothing, and caring. It's an important part of self care.
Mindfulness is not doing your laundry while you think about the other one hundred things you have on your to do list. It is not eating your lunch while typing away at your keyboard, scanning headlines as you shovel food in, so that you can hurry to your next meeting. Mindfulness is a state of being, not doing.
Who's talking about Mindfulness?
It's graffittied all over the blogosphere and it's creeping it's way into top businesses around the world. Forbes has a great article explaining how Aetna implemented a yoga and mindfulness program for their employees. The cost of this program is so low, but the benefits are ever-yielding. The advantages of their mindfulness program include employee reports of decreased stress levels, as well as measured lower cortisol, decreased heart rate, and improved sleep performance. And the best part? Aetna lowered their health insurance costs and made more money per employee!
How can we be more Mindful?
This is a fabulous question and I'm desperately trying to work on it. I find myself checking email while I'm watching TV or while even talking to my husband, simply out of habit. Instead of being in the moment and being present, my mind is off somewhere in the past or to the future. Sometimes, I feel like I'm stuck living in yesterday or tomorrow, failing to appreciate where I am right this very moment. Untethered Soul is a fantastic read that provides guidance to help overcome the "voices" in our head that pull us out of the present, allowing one to remain calm and unruffled by the never-ending narration in our minds.
Here are 4 steps to get us started in the Quest for Mindfulness:
Step 1:
In order to be more Mindful, we can simply be more mindful.
When doing chores, take time to feel your body moving and being. For example feel the soap on your hands while you're doing the dishes, as you appreciate the dishes that you have to clean. While eating dinner, feel the emotions of being grateful for the food on your table, while enjoying the taste of different flavors, as you are surrounded by your loved one(s). As you walk to your car or subway/train, take in the scenery around you. Acknowledge those "voices" in your head, but let them float past like clouds in the sky.
Step 2:
Meditate.
There are so many amazing apps out there that can help you meditate, whether a beginner or more advanced in meditative work. Even though I have been meditating for many years now, I often times feel like a beginner and going back to beginner-like meditations is sometimes exactly what I need.
Here are a couple of apps that I really like.
Headspace "Treat Your Head right" and download this app for a 10 day journey in meditation arts.
Calm I just discovered this app and found it to be exactly what it's called, calming. They offer a "7 Days of Calm" or you can just do their simple body scan meditation from anywhere to 2 to 30 minutes.
If you love podcasts, you will enjoy Tara Brach. She has lots of free 20-30 minute guided meditations that I find very relaxing. Tim Ferris has interviewed Tara Brach about Meditation and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out.)
Step 3:
Get support.
It helps that my husband is okay with shutting down his phone during dinner. This makes it easier for me to not start perusing instagram just because he's answering his emails. Don't be afraid to ask for support. Join a 21 day meditation with a large group of followers. There's this one with Deepak Chopra and Oprah.
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| Buddhist Monk on the phone with Verizon: Increasing his data plan. |
Step 4:
Practice one step at a time and take it one day at a time.
I know that it will be a continual practice to become more mindful, but at the end of the day, our bodies will thank us. There's no perfection here, unless you're a buddhist monk (hey, even they are on their cell phones!)
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