Mindfulness

 Mindfulness is the art of watching.  And watching yourself can have huge benefits.

In learning to be mindful, we learn to just "be."  Being is an unnatural "action" in American society.  Most of us are taught to be "doers."  There is nothing wrong with doing.  Certainly if it were not for "doing," meals wouldn't get prepared, school would not be attended and bills would not be paid.  But even in all of this doing, it is "okay" to "just be."  To slow down and put oneself into the task wholeheartedly.  Not to multitask.  Not to daydream.  Not to worry about what to fix for dinner later in the day.  Or if you locked the front door when you left for work.  Yes, those things are important.  But not as important as this very minute and how you choose to spend it. 

A good way to learn to be mindful-or maybe aware is to study your breath.  The following is just one of a slew of methods:

1.  Sit upright in a straight-backed chair.

2.  Have a relaxed but upright posture with your head up and shoulders and back straight.

3.  You may keep your eyes open or close them for the duration of the exercise.

4.  Slowly breathe in through your nose. 

5.  As you breathe through your nose, watch your breath.  Observe, but don't "think."  Observe your breath.  Is it warm or cool as it enters your nostrils.  Is the breath stronger on one side or the other?  Sometimes it is helpful to focus or observe at the point where the air enters the nostrils.

5.  Observe the flow of the breath as it exits your body when you exhale--through your nose.

6.  When you notice your mind wandering and not observing the breath, gently turn the focus back to the breath.

7.  Begin again.

8.  Each time you find your mind wandering, do not judge or berate yourself for it.  Just gently return to observing the breath.

Do this for 20 minutes in the morning.  And again at night.

Through the course of this meditation you will find yourself thinking things like,"This is a stupid exercise" or "Am I doing this right?".  This is all part of the process.  There is no right or wrong about it.  It just is. 

As you continue this exercise in mindfulness, you will learn much about the "panic" of the mind.  It is often called the "monkey mind" because it jumps around so much.  Over time it will be a little easier to "still" your thoughts.

Try if for a minimum of three weeks.  Keep a journal of changes in mind, thoughts and emotions that occur.  You may be surprised!

--Susan