Millions of people around the world are taking up the practice of mindfulness and discovering a new sense of freedom and fulfillment in their lives. If you’re reading this you’re probably one of them.
The adventure and the challenge that we mindfulness practitioners face, is the art of taking it off the cushion and into our everyday lives.
That’s why today I’m going to share with you five ways you can integrate more awareness into everyday living and maintain it for longer.
With these key habits (and a bit of practice), I believe mindfulness will simply become a natural part of your everyday life.
1. Witnessing Thoughts
Start listening to the thoughts going through your mind, as often as you can. Especially any repetitive thought patterns. As you listen, aim to do so as an impartial witness.
In other words, don’t believe your thoughts and don’t take them all that seriously. Let them come and go as you simply observe without interference.
Any time you watch thoughts in this way you step out of being caught up in them, and into awareness.
Through this kind of self observation more mindfulness comes into your life automatically.
You’ll soon have the realization ‘I am not the mind’ and thoughts will begin to lose their grip over you. What a liberation!
2. Present Moment Awareness
You can step out of ‘autopilot’ and into mindfulness awareness simply by directing the whole focus of your attention into the now.
All you have to do is become intensely aware of your immediate sensate reality. Don’t think about it, simply be fully attentive to this present moment. Right here. Right now.
In this way you redirect attention out of being absorbed in the unconscious thinking that characterizes the ‘autopilot’ state and you shift into mindfulness.
Since most of the minds chatter involves past and future thoughts, when you are fully present the mind also often becomes pacified and still.
3. Switch Into ‘Sensing Mode’
A powerful and simple way to enter mindfulness at any given moment in your day, is simply to direct your attention into your senses. What can you feel? Go into it fully. What can you hear, taste and smell?
Sight is our most dominant sense, so explore your visual field fully. Drink it in as if you had just been born into this world. The play of light and shadow, the contours, colors and shapes. Let yourself be immersed in it.
Don’t think about it, just sense it.
We modern folks tend to spend much time in ‘conceptualizing mode’ and too little in ‘sensing mode’.
In other words, we give little attention to what is being sensed directly and more attention to our mental interpretations, judgments and concepts about what is sensed. We are often caught up in our minds rather than being fully present in the moment.
Sensing mode brings you into the now immediately because what is here to be sensed is always and only available in the present moment. Regularly and deliberately switching into sensing mode can become an integral part of your mindful living ‘practice’.
4. Listening
Listening can become a powerful mindfulness practice. It’s powerful because we have an abundance of opportunities to practice every day. We are highly social creatures.
Often when we listen to another person we are there in body, but not fully present. Very often, we are not actually focusing on what they are saying; we are caught up in our own mental chatter.
We judge what they are saying, mentally agreeing or disagreeing, or we think about what we want to say next. Sometimes we mentally wander off completely and ‘phase out’ of the conversation.
Next time you’re with a loved one or co-worker, don’t just hear their words; really listen to what they’re expressing.
Focus all your attention on the other person. Be fully present for them. You’ll be amazed at the power of listening; it’s an act of love and kindness.
People appreciate it deeply when you truly listen to them. As an extra-added bonus, you’ll also find that they’ll listen to you more fully when you speak.
5. Noticing Space And Silence
In life there are forms and there is the formless dimension. Paying attention to the formless dimension of life is a very subtle but incredibly potent mindfulness practice that is available to you at any moment of life.
Mostly we pay attention to the forms in our life – sense perceptions, thoughts and emotions, but we tend to overlook the fact that all these things require space in order to be.
All objects arise in space- vast stillness. All sound arises in a background of silence. All objects, everything you ever experience arises in YOU – the silent watcher – pure formless consciousness.
How can you pay attention to the formless? You can’t really get a hold of it. The mind cannot grasp it or make sense of it but you can sense into it.
How? Pay attention to outer silence when it arises. This can open up inner silence. Notice the background of silence in which all sound arises and then dies back into. This is not something you can think about. See if you can simply notice it is there.
Space is similar to silence in a way. Everything that exists can only exist because of the space that allows it to be.
See for yourself what happens when you withdraw attention from the things in spaceand pay attention to space itself. You will find that noticing space without also opens up space within.
Our inner environment also consists of ‘forms’ and ‘formless-ness’. Our attention tends to be caught up in things (thoughts) but with mindfulness we aim to dwell in inner space as we watch thoughts come and go.
Notice this space which all thoughts arise in and die back into. That space is the one constant in your life experience. It is your true home.
As often as you can, throughout your day, withdraw attention from form and notice formlessness both within and without.
Integrating these 5 habits of mindful living into your day may take some practice at first, but then after a while they will become second nature to you.
Why not give them a try (or pick one habit to start with) today?
I hope this has been helpful and I wish you all the best with your ‘practice’. Let me know how you go by writing in the comments below. If you have any questions or maybe some tips of your own jot them down there too!
PS. If you enjoyed this article, you’ll also enjoy this 11 Ways To Bring More Mindfulness Into Your Life Today
Do you want to live an easier, happier, and more fulfilling life? Get ready to watch your obstacles disappear as Stress Reduction Journey guides you to effortless joy i. Leverage the power of the miraculous energy that permeates all of existence to create the life you want, and learn how to:
- Effortlessly fulfill your desires by aligning them with the flow of the universe
- Open and activate the power of your seven energy centers, called Chakras
- Discover who you are meant to be and start living your purpose
- Tap into the powerful energy within to uplift yourself and everyone around you
Beautiful soundscapes harmonize with Stress Reduction Jourrney’s daily message, mantra-based meditations, and centering thoughts. Experience the magnificent power of your true self with Stress Reduction Jourrney!
No comments:
Post a Comment