Making Mindfulness Work for You

Being mindful takes some practice and once you have gained just a bit of the bliss it can be very nice to tap in anytime and achieve that wonderful feeling. Here are some tips for reaching that glee any old time of day:

• Make mindfulness the very first thing you do each day. Wake up a little earlier than usual and, before you even move, notice your breathing; breathe consciously for a few minutes. Feel your body lying in bed and then straighten it out and stretch. Try to think of the day ahead as an adventure, filled with possibilities. Remember, you can never really foresee what the day will hold. Concentrating on positivity is a sure fire way of attracting it to you too.
• Try stopping, sitting down and becoming aware of your breathing once in a while throughout the day. It can be for 5 minutes or even 5 seconds. Just breathe and let go – allow yourself to be exactly as you are. Accepting oneself and being ok with whatever, or knowing that it will be ok, will help guide you to a more calmer finish to your day.
• Set aside a time every day to just be; 5 minutes would be fine, or 20 or 30. Sit and become aware of your breathing, every time your mind wanders, simply return to the breath. This concentration of the breath will allow other thoughts to dissapear allowing you to rest in a more calm space of peacefulness. We can all use that even if it is only a few minutes.
• use your mindfulness time to contemplate what you really want from life. Ask youself questions: "Who am I?", "Where am I going?", "If I could choose a path now, in which direction would I head?", or "What do I truly love?" You do not have to come up with answers, just persist with asking. Then use your perception throughout the day to "look" for directions. The universe has a way of showing signs to us if we can just stop and notice. Your answers may come as signs, actions of others, so many different forms, just notice what happens around you once you put an intention out into the world.
• Try getting down on the floor once a day and stretching your body mindfully, if only for a few minutes. Stay in touch with your breathing and listen to what your body has to tell you.
• Practice kindfulness to yourself. as you sit and breathe, incite a sense of self-acceotance and cherishing to arise in your heart. If it starts to go away, gently bring it back. I heard a quote once that said " Just because she is pretty, doesn't mean you are ugly." I think back to that because I think we can all be too hard on ourselves and we judge too much. I try to remember that being kind to one self is such a beautiful place to be.