Mindfulness or meditation has been around for millennia. I would imagine since the first human creature noticed the sunrise, or how a drop of rain felt as it fell on their skin, or took a nice, long, deep breath. Mindfulness is, in its simplest form, a moment of noticing. That’s it. Of course, you can practice by sitting still for an hour watching your breath or listening to the sounds around you. And, I would highly recommend doing so, someday. Yet, in our hectic, 21st century lives, a simple moment to notice what is actually happening right in front of us or how we are really feeling, right now, is a form of meditation practice.
Most of the time we are living in our pre-frontal cortex; planning, organizing, processing information and we forget we are attached to an entire body that gives us information about the world around and inside of us. Taking a few moments to pause, giving our thinking brain a rest and reconnecting with our bodies can ground us to the present moment giving us important information we may be missing most of the time. Information such as, I’m hungry, my feet hurt, I’m thirsty, these flowers smell great, the sun feels warm and millions of other small clues about our internal emotional lives. In fact, most of the time, it is our body that knows first what we need and sends the information to our brain. If we are not listening to our bodies, we may miss the cues and end up cranky, frustrated, even angry and words can come out of our mouths that we didn’t intend.
So, I invite you to indulge in a deep breath, just one, right now. Inhale slowly through your nose. Hold the breath for a count or two and slowly, slowly exhale through your nose or mouth. Now notice. What do you feel? How do you feel? Perhaps indulge and take another breath just like the first. Maybe even lengthening the exhale by a count or two. Notice? Where are your shoulders? How does your jaw feel?
If this breath or two is something that feels good to you, it can be done anytime during your day. First thing in the morning, before you start a new meeting or conversation, before you enter your home at the end of the day, anytime.
If you’d like to be guided, I have a five breath practice you can find here: Take Five: Five Breath Rejuvenating Practice | Sonia Keffer (insighttimer.com)
Just a couple of breaths or a moment to notice your surroundings, looking out the window, listening to the sounds around you, really tasting that first bite of food, will bring you back to the present moment, where you actually live. It will give your brain a break from its hard work and can give you needed information about what you might need to improve your day.
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