Mindful Mondays

So, what is mindfulness? The literal definition, “a quality of awareness of something,” seems simple at first, but when applied can become a bit more complex. Not to worry, we will work here to discuss, identify, practice, and hone techniques that can make mindfulness a part of everyday life.

For example, stop reading and focus on only the things that you can hear.

You may need to close your eyes in order to promote a greater awareness of sound. Go ahead, give yourself 30 seconds of mindful listening. What did you notice? The sound of the TV in the other room, the hum of the washing machine, or perhaps you were able to focus on the sound of your breathing?

Let’s hear a bit of mindfulness explained by one its modern gurus, Jon Kabat-Zinn:

“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

This is the definition we will adopt for the remainder of this series.

MINDFUL ACTIVITY: Set a reminder – On your phone, watch, gmail/outlook calendar set an alarm or notification to Be Mindful. Recurring reminders are best if possible. When your watch chimes, phone buzzes, or the reminder pops up on your computer screen allow yourself a brief mindful moment. Close your eyes, take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, and silently say “I am here, it is now.” Feel free to repeat these last few steps as many times as you’d like. You can also set the reminder for multiple times throughout the day.

And so, we encourage you today and every day to Be Mindful.