One day I realized that I was on auto-pilot. I was moving from one task to another without even thinking. I was so distracted by the endless number of people and things that needed my attention that I had no time to just be. My mind was exhausted. I needed to press pause. Trying to find the pause button led me to the practice of mindfulness. My physical and mental health is better because of it.
Mindfulness is not an attempt to silence the mind or erase thoughts. It is learning how to not get so involved in thoughts and to learn to let them go. It is giving the mind something to focus on - breathing. It is being fully present in the moment. Learning how to be alone with myself and present with my body and mind without distractions was scary at first. I would get frustrated that after about three breaths my mind would wander off to emails, dinner, schedules, and on and on and on. Mindfulness teaches me to accept that my mind wanders off. The task it to realize it and bring it back to my breathing. It takes practice, regularity and patience.
I currently practice for ten minutes a day- no matter what. I will be increasing to twenty minutes at the beginning of the year. I time it for discipline reasons. I prefer to practice first thing in the morning to bring down my cortisol and to prevent starting my day with stress. I find a quiet'ish place and I sit on the ground. A lot of people sit in a chair with a pillow supporting their lower back. I prefer sitting on the ground for grounding purposes.
I take a few seconds to remind myself of why I do it. I do it for my benefit, but also as a gift to my loved ones and the universe. As my stress reduces, my clarity and compassion increases. My relationships improve. I can contribute peace to the world. I can be fully present. This motivates me.
I make myself aware of my body and of how it feels. Body awareness brings me to the present moment. I am relaxed. I am calm. I am present. I am grounded. I breathe. I am aware of my breathing. I feel it. I locate it. I focus on it. My mind wanders and I bring it back to my breathing. My mind gets lost and I bring it back. Every time I bring my mind back to my breathing I get stronger.
Mindfulness helps me relax, better deal with stress and react less. I am reprograming my stress response. I train everyday to be better prepared for emergency stress situations. I am less anxious and tense. I am happier. I am healthier. I am more present and more aware. I have a stronger sense of freedom when I'm not held hostage by my thoughts.
Of course I still get annoyed, angry and upset. Those feelings just aren't as intense as they used to be and they don't last as long. On a recent road trip one of my best friends said "you are in such a great mood" and I realized that that has become my every day mood. This is only the beginning. I've only just begun.
Thank you for being a part of my journey. I hope you find your pause button.
...Breathe...
...Michelle Lynn...
Note: I have really enjoyed reading "Mindfulness A Practical Guide" by Tessa Watt.
