The greatest gift you can give to yourself or another is presence
Mindfulness is the practice of presence.
Presence is the state is being here, now.
To be here, now, is to be conscious of each moment as it folds into the next, being conscious of the changing energies of our thoughts, emotions, felt sensations in the body and spirit. When we live mindfully, we live fully. When we are wholly present, we are in tune with our bodies and its needs. When we are in tune with ourselves, we are in alignment with our values and our purpose. When we are mindful of our stress, we can then listen to our bodies and regulate our nervous system. When we are mindful, we become a observer of our thoughts, and emotions, and when we are that observer, we are not absorbed or attached to those thoughts or emotions, they then do not sweep us away, but give us the choice to enter into them or allow them to pass.
If we are not mindful
– We fail to experience life to its fullest, tuning into pieces of our day and running on the subconscious programs and thought patterns of the past.
– We eat, but fail to chew our foods properly for the 25-40 bites it takes to aid in digestion. We fail to interact with the vibration of the food we are eating. Then we fail to assess how that food makes us feel, and whether it was what our body needed. One perspective is that food is medicine, and just because a food is purported as being healthy, does not necessarily mean it’s the right medicine for you at that moment.
– We fail to listen to our bodies when they are crying out that they are stressed and tired and need recovery, rest, and relaxation.
– We fail to listen to our emotions and practice the proper expression of their energies.
– We are not aware of the moment to moment decisions we make every day, that if we were mindful of, we could then choose to make different decision to better our lives, or see new opportunities.
– If we are too caught up in thinking about the past or the future, we are not present. Pair this situation with the above mentioned not listening to our emotions and our stresses, then we are dysregulated in so many ways that we cannot be fully present. Then when we interact with our family and friends, we are not capable of giving them true presence. We give them pieces of our self.
To become more mindful is to become more aware.
Where to begin:
Set a reminder on your phone at the beginning, middle, and end of each day. The reminder is a call to check in with your body, your thoughts, and your emotions. Its as simple as spending a few moments, perhaps 10 breaths to come back to center. Body, thoughts, and emotions. Checking in the body, tuning into any tensions or sensations that arise in that moment. Assessing your emotions, allowing any energies to arise, and just allowing them be, just witnessing them and allowing them to express themselves and release. Taking a few mindful breaths, becoming attuned to the process of breathing in, and letting the exhale fall away, releasing all the tensions and stress your holding in the body, and regulating your nervous system.
Bonus:
Mindful eating is the practice of eating well. To eat without distractions, to chew properly, and be grateful for the nourishment that the earth provides.
zkcoaching.ca 