Be mindful. Be grateful. Be positive. Be true. Be kind.
Be courageous. Be Present.
Being Mindful is simply an awareness of the present moment.
It’s common to think frequently about the past and the future. You replay your day, remember childhood disappointment, and grapple with loss. You try to predict the future, assume the worst, expect perfection, or get disappointed before the next thing has even happened.
How often do you stop thinking about the past or the future, and instead consciously focus your attention on the here and now?
Mindfulness means you’re giving your full mind to the present moment. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, and we will go over many of them here.
Mindfulness will have a powerful effect on your mind and your life. You will find that you have stronger emotion regulation, feel more at peace throughout the day, and enjoy yourself more than ever before.
Your self-compassion practice will be drastically improved when you begin to put mindfulness into your routine. Practicing mindfulness is helpful with self-compassion because it helps centre you in reality and feel calm and accepting of everything around you, including yourself.
Living your fullest life means taking each moment
as comes. You can appreciate every moment and look for each lesson.
Mindfulness nonjudgmentally invites you to the present moment. When you
can sit in the present moment and have compassion and open-mindedness, you will
be able to connect to yourself on a truly self-compassionate level.
When you’re truly mindful, you will find a new peace of mind that brings about
calm throughout your life and your heart.
Mindfulness is simply turning your attention toward the present moment. You can
do this by implementing some practices to help you bring your mind to a present
state.
It’s a good idea to make time each day
to practice mindfulness. You can begin by working on doing your typical
routines in a more mindful way.
For example, you can mindfully brush your teeth by taking your time instead of
rushing through.
Begin by getting your toothbrush wet and putting toothpaste on it. Notice your
tube of toothpaste and the colour of your toothbrush. You can do all of this
without judging any of it as “good” or “bad.” Begin brushing your teeth. Pay attention to the
bristles on the brush. Notice the taste of the toothpaste and feel your teeth
getting cleaner.
Pay attention to any tension you’re holding. Relax your shoulders and jaw.
Loosen your grip on your toothbrush a little bit.
If you begin your day like this each morning, you’ll
begin to notice a change. This is an excellent way to start your day and a
great way to implement mindfulness.
You can find many ways to practice mindfulness. There are many avenues toward
compassion and awareness of the present moment. Try many activities to find
ways that work for you to practice mindfulness.
Consider these simple activities:
Body Scan. You can release tension and come back to the centre of the present moment by checking your body for tightness. Do this by sitting comfortably or laying on your back. Begin at your toes and work your way up to your body, relaxing each of your muscles as you go.
- Pay attention to your five senses. Name things you hear, see, feel, taste, or smell. By doing this, you’re remaining observant of where you are right now, and you’re connecting yourself to this moment.
- Practice mindfulness meditation. You can simply sit and pay attention to your breathing. You don’t have to breathe in a particular way. Simply notice your breath.
- Avoid judging intruding thoughts. Acknowledge them and then return your attention to your breathing.
- Mindfully eat your favorite food. Sit with your plate in front of you. Look at all of the food and smell the delicious smells. When you take a bite, pay close attention to the taste and texture of each food.
- With all mindfulness activities, your thoughts will likely drift. If they do, simply come back to the moment. You never need to judge yourself for getting lost in thought again.
When you’re truly mindful, you have no judgments on anything. You’re able to simply sit at the moment and tolerate what you’re going through. Mindfulness brings more enjoyment to each moment.
When you can truly appreciate this, you will find compassion blossoming. Having compassion in the present moment connects mindfulness to self-compassion. Self-compassion and mindfulness work together to create a full love for self and life.
Self-Compassion
When you’re able to truly be in the moment, you will have easy access to a deep well of self-compassion and compassion for everyone. When you’re sitting in the present moment, pay attention to having compassion for the moment. Take that compassion and turn it inward.
Self-compassion comes from the moment when you’re able to truly give yourself the love and appreciation you need. When you’re practicing self-compassion, you’re embracing each part of you in every moment.
When you’re mindful at the moment, take your attention to yourself. If judgments or regrets come up, simply respond with deep self-compassion. What would you say to your very best friend?
If you’re suffering, how do you speak to yourself? If you made a mistake or lost an opportunity, how would you speak to yourself? In times when you’re being critical of yourself, you can use mindfulness skills to increase your self-compassion and be better able to tolerate the present moment.
One effective way to arrive back at self-compassion is by taking a self-compassion break.
To begin, take a few deep breaths. Relax your shoulders and ease the tension in your jaw. Give yourself a hug and comfort yourself. Give yourself all of the kindness that you would give to your closest friend. Allow yourself to feel loved and grounded in the present moment.
Constantly Compassionate
When you’ve found self-compassion for
yourself, you can begin to spread that compassion to all beings. Imagine your
compassion growing and growing. By starting small with mindfulness, you will
see all of the ways you can implement it in your life. Over time, you can
continue to advance your practice and find even more appreciation for the
present moment.
As your self-compassion grows, so will your compassion for all beings. Imagine
your compassion growing and growing, until it encompasses the earth with love.
You can feel that peace and calm by having a regular and consistent mindfulness
practice.
Giving yourself compassionate attention can transform your life.
With kindness and love,
Melody Bass
Energy Healer
Transformational Life Coach
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