part0024

In this chapter you will learn important exercises that you can use to practice mindfulness every day. Though the exercises vary, the goal is always to achieve a state of alert, focused relaxation by consciously observing thoughts and sensations without judgment. This redirects your focus to the present moment.

Mindful breathing involves being consciously aware of every inhale and exhale. As you focus your attention on your breathing, your rambling mind becomes silenced. Your breath becomes the object of your concentration. As you continue practicing mindful breathing, you gain more control of your life because you choose to live in the power of the moment.

In order to practice mindful breathing begin by slowly moving your attention onto the process of breathing. Follow each breath in and out by concentrating on what the air feels like coming into your body then out again. Pay attention to the expansion of your chest and abdomen as you inhale and the contraction of your body as the air is released. If you get distracted while doing this, simply recognize the distraction and then gently bring your attention back to your breathing.

When you end the exercise of mindful breathing take some time to reflect on your experience and connect with the present moment.

This exercise is short and sweet and can be done at any point throughout your day. Start by taking some slow, deep relaxing breaths. Try to breathe deep in order to access your diaphragm.

When you feel that you have connected to the in/out motion of breathing look at your watch or clock. When the second hand reaches the 12 take a deep breath in and hold it while you slowly count to six. Slowly release the air, paying attention to every part of your slow exhale. Continue this for a full 60 seconds.

Use this exercise several times a day to restore your mind to peace, clarity and the present moment. Over time you can expand this exercise as you get use to the process.

Mindfulness meditation is practiced by sitting comfortably with your back straight and eyes closed. Pay attention to your breathing by listening to the in and out sound of your breath. If thoughts get in the way gently, in a non-judgemental way, bring them back to the act of breathing.

When you begin practicing mindfulness meditation start by incorporating it into your life in small intervals– 5 or 10 minutes. This will be enough for you to begin learning this new habit.

As you practice this habit regularly and it becomes easier, you can slowly increase the amount of time you spend meditating. In each sitting, focus on your breathing and let yourself relax into every breath.

The goal of this meditation is simply to sit still and allow yourself to be comfortable with just being and calming your mind. The fact that YOU sit down and calm YOUR mind is a strong self-empowerment tool for you.

The more you implement this habit, the more you can allow it to branch out into mindful awareness of feelings, thoughts and actions.

Wherever you are, begin to notice sights, sounds, smells, touches and tastes. Drink in the experience of whatever is around you and entirely focus your attention on it.

Take any object you have lying around the house and place it in your hand. Allow your attention to be entirely absorbed in the object. Simply observe it. Don’t study it intellectually; rather see it for what it is.

This exercise should give you a heightened feeling of “nowness” as you take control of the present moment. You should feel your chattery thoughts of the past and future dissipate.

Conscious observation doesn’t seem like much, but it is extremely powerful.

Stop at any point throughout your day and really listen to the sounds that are going on around you.

Notice the sound of the computer humming. Listen to the birds chirping outside your window. Notice the sound of a car going by in the distance. Hear the sound of an airplane overhead.

Mindful listening offers a wonderful opportunity to experience serenity and peace in any given moment.

This technique involves choosing certain environmental cues that will act as reminders to you to practice mindfulness the moment they occur.

For example, the sound of a plane flying by can trigger a response in you to immediately focus on your breathing. Washing your hands or seeing a cat or dog could also act as triggers.

There are no rules here. If the trigger works for you, use it.

Mindfulness cues are great at jolting you out of the autopilot state and bringing you back to the present moment.

Mindful eating means paying attention to the entire experience of eating. Pay attention to the aroma of the food and savor the taste. Notice the colors of the food. Feel the texture of the food as you chew it. Hear the sounds of the food, the crunch or snap. Be 100% involved in the experience of eating. Avoid distractions in order to do this.

The goal of mindful walking is to be aware of your environment and internal state (feelings, sensations, thoughts).

As you begin walking, be conscious of your feet connecting with the ground. Recognize your legs moving and pay attention to your muscles tensing and relaxing with every step. Notice the intensity of each step. Is it light or hard on the pavement?

Next, allow yourself to recognize your surroundings. Become aware of what you see, hear, feel, smell and taste. Feel the air on your skin and pay attention to what is going on around you.

As you remain conscious of your walking and surroundings, start to become aware of your thoughts and emotions. What are you thinking? What do you feel? Don’t judge your thoughts and feelings; rather just recognize them for what they are.

If during your walk your thoughts start to wander to the past or future, gently acknowledge them and bring yourself back to the moment. Focus on each footstep again.

Don’t get discouraged if your thoughts wander. This is completely normal in developing mindfulness. See it as an opportunity to develop your skill of refocusing your thoughts on the present moment.

Be proactive about consciously using STOP throughout your day. Check in with yourself at various points in the day to see if you are living in the present moment. If you are not, then apply the “P ” in STOP and P roceed to some kind of action that will help support you in living in the now.

Instead of constantly being engaged in “doing something” like checking emails, making phone calls or getting work done, decide to give your brain a break. Look out the window for a minute and watch the clouds sailing by, the leaves falling, or the waves rolling in. Focus on your breathing and make your observance of nature a meditative experience. Try to completely engross yourself in the moment and enjoy what you see.

Concentration is the door that shuts out mental chatter. In order to practice concentration, close your eyes and slowly count to ten. When your focus wanders, gently lead your thoughts back to number one.

Understand that it’s normal to have this mindfulness technique go like this:

“One…..two…..three…..four…..what time was that meeting again? Oh, darn I broke my concentration.”

“One…..two….three…..boy, it sure is hot out today. They said it’s supposed to be sunny until Saturday. Oh shoot!

Don’t worry. Mastering mindfulness is a process.

Take one of your routine chores like cleaning and revamp the experience by entirely immersing yourself in it.

Take dusting for example. Focus on every detail of dusting, how the cloth feels on each surface, how the cloth sweeps across the surface and how dust is carried away with the cloth.

If it’s sweeping, lose yourself in every stroke of the broom against the floor. If it’s vacuuming, thoroughly involve yourself in the back and forth motion of the vacuum.

Take five things throughout the day that normally go unnoticed and recognize them as a blessing and something that you are grateful for.

For example, think of your senses, like your ability to see, smell, touch, taste, and hear. Imagine what life would be like without them. Take a moment to be grateful for your senses. Continue this throughout the day with other things that you take for granted.

Being grateful always leads to a greater appreciation of life and restores balance. This alleviates stress, anxiety and worry and escalates a quiet sense of peace and happiness.