How to Practice Mindfulness?

What is mindfulness? There is a fine line between who we think we are and who we know to be. Being- is the ultimate path to your soul. Being- is controlling your mind and your own noise. The mind is a messenger. We signal the brain how we want to proceed. It is time to wake up from your dream. It is time to catch your breath. Can you feel it? You are exhausted. Let go and surrender. It is time to take control of your mind and no longer let it control you. Your mind is not who you are; it is only what you choose it to be. In this article, I will show you how to practice mindfulness and how to have full control of your body, mind and soul. In the end, you will realize that this whole time you have been running. Chasing an infinite path of time, that has no end.

Humans are natural time travelers

You ever tell an exhilarating story to your friend or loved one and notice that the person is not actually listening? You find yourself wanting to react to their lack of attention, but you hold yourself back knowing too well that you do the same too. You are not truly present during a conversation. We tend to float away, thinking about the deadline we have for a project due next month, the winter tires we must change in September, the argument we had with our friend last night, and what are we going to eat in the next two hours. These lift-offs from reality can legitimately impact our mental health, social life, and overall well-being. A great mind once said; "Nostalgia is a painful denial of our presence". When we deny what is right in front of us, we deny who we truly are inside. When we put down the phone, the computer, and our busy mind, we can truly tap into the present- that is life happening around us. In the present moment, we have the ability to be given guidance, clues, and solutions to every aspect of our life. To be present, is to live. This is where we feel and cherish every emotion authentically and uniquely for each situation. This is where we learn to appreciate and be grateful for what we now have and have been given. Thus parting ways from our own make belief realities, stories, and scenarios that may never even exist.

Who are you? Are you living in a way that is true to who you are?

Everything in our reality is depicted and understood based on how our brain center views and processes the information. The hypothalamus, located in the base center of the brain, plays a crucial role in how humans perceive their reality. It is the storage center for our beliefs, conditions, emotions, and perspectives. All our feelings and perceptions have been absorbed since birth and obtained from our parents and ancestors through several generations. Most of us, live a reality of ideas, information, experiences, and memories that have moulded our perceptions, the way we see ourselves, and the world. But how many of us actually challenge those belief patterns, conditions, and perspectives? If we live by what we know, how can we truly know who we are. Like a dog, we are trained since birth to follow family traditions, belief systems, conditions, and rules from society. We learn to feel sad when someone dies, and happy when one marries. It is like an on and off switch that is switched on for proper circumstances based off of social norms. Being mindful, is acknowledging where your habits, actions, and thoughts stem from, and asking yourself if that is truly the person you feel to be, or want to be. Challenging yourself, and questioning your own restrictions, fears, and boundaries brings about a deeper understanding of who we truly are. Being mindful and practicing mindfulness training entails self interrogation.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Mindfulness activities and therapy allows us to tap into our most powerful and positive state of being. It helps us leave that unwanted state of fog and confusion, and facilitates us to discover our path and choices more clearly. When practicing mindfulness techniques, you can even experience an improvement of your nervous system. These benefits include:

• Improved sleep
• Reduced anxiety and depression
• Mood stabilization
• Improved decision making
• Reduced stressed
• Positive lifestyle
• Better relationships
• Being involved in nurturing environments
• Being authentic
• Being a vessel for the truth
• No longer hiding under your emotions and demons
• Releasing trauma, fears, boundaries, and pain
• Leaving old, negative habits, and cycles behind
• Gaining courage and pushing past the fear
• Choosing love over fear and hate
• Gaining confidence, strength, determination, and ambition.
• Improved energy

Mindfulness techniques

There are loads of mindfulness activities and techniques in which we can introduce to our daily routine and life patterns. One of my favorite techniques is practicing mindful eating. This one is a huge representation for me of what it means to be present and aware. When eating you are focusing, or should be focusing on all your 5 physical senses; taste, touch, smell, hearing and vision. When you are eating, you can really learn to appreciate your food. Paying attention and asking yourself how does the food taste, how it feels , and what texture does it have? How does it smell? What can you see, is it colorful, bland? What about what you hear when you chew your food? It's all about, recognizing the beauty in front of you, and food is a great representation of that. Not only that, when you practice mindful eating, you also practice being in the moment with the people that you may eat with. Listening, discussing, and paying attention to their cues, and movements. It is a perfect opportunity to get to know yourself, your environment and the people sitting with you. That is why many holidays and human gatherings revolve around food. When developing your 5 senses, you have the ability to work towards two other senses; vestibular and proprioception. Which is just another fancy way of saying balance and body awareness. These two senses help us identify the things we cannot see but feel. We can develop these senses by practicing many other mindfulness techniques such as; yoga, physical activities, stillness or movement meditation, creative arts (music, painting, writing), or simply even sleeping. All these techniques, allow us to connect to our attention to our body, our mind, and our soul. Giving us the opportunity to disconnect from the internal/ external noises, the loudness, the chatter, and the distractions that keep us on our toes. We can learn where we feel we may put extra energy in our daily life, and where we still need to find balance. This could either be helpful when trying to recognize why you may feel sick, tired, or drained. Also, it helps us recognize what is around us, what we project in and out of our reality, and recognize the beauty of what nature has provided for us. These meditation techniques and practices are a form of mindfulness therapy in which is used by many and allow us to speak our truth, be authentic, find our voice, and inner light.