Mindfulness & YOU (Part I)

Mindfulness is described as "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique."

For a lot of people, keeping focused on anything for more than a few moments has become exceedingly difficult. This is where mindfulness can come into play, and teach us how to expand our patience and understanding of our Selves.

All over the world, people are currently suffering through a similar crisis, and are having various different ways of dealing with it. It can be helpful to have different perspectives and ideas as to how people get through tough times, since you might never know what could end up working for you.

In the article "5 Simple Mindfulness Practices for Daily Life" (link below), there are 5 steps offered to help a person apply mindfulness throughout their day. In this post, we'll learn a little bit about the first one, "Mindful Wakeup: Start with a Purpose".

Part I

1. On waking, sit in your bed or a chair in a relaxed posture. Close your eyes and connect with the sensations of your seated body. Make sure your spine is straight, but not rigid.

2. Take three long, deep, nourishing breaths—breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then let your breath settle into its own rhythm, as you simply follow it in and out, noticing the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.

3. Ask yourself: What is my intention for today? Use these prompts to help answer that question, as you think about the people and activities you will face. Ask yourself:

How might I show up today to have the best impact?

What quality of mind do I want to strengthen and develop?

What do I need to take better care of myself?

During difficult moments, how might I be more compassionate to others and myself?

How might I feel more connected and fulfilled?

4. Set your intention for the day. For example, Today, I will be kind to myself; be patient with others; give generously; stay grounded; persevere; have fun; eat well, or anything else you feel is important.

5. Throughout the day, check in with yourself. Pause, take a breath, and revisit your intention. Notice, as you become more and more conscious of your intentions for each day, how the quality of your communications, relationships, and mood shifts.

https://www.mindful.org/take-a-mindful-moment-5-simple-practices-for-daily-life/

Have you tried this step today? If so, how did you feel?