Mindfulness In The Present Moment
- What I am talking about today is is staying present in one’s current situation in both mind, and body
- and .. (sensations of where your body is spatially? Where you are at this very moment?
- Are you sitting in a chair or on a couch?
- Or are you standing at the moment?
- Can you feel the support of that chair or couch?
- Can you feel grounded to the earth below you if you are standing?
These are specific grounding techniques that are helpful in keeping us aware to our surroundings in the present moment.
We have all been in a situation where we have ended up in a place, by walking or driving and not noticed ourselves getting there . What just happened? I arrived and didn’t even pay attention during the past 45 minutes, where did the time go? Have you asked yourself this question over and over again? Don’t worry, because most of us have. This happens when we are going about our lives mindlessly… things just happen to us.
When we decide to participate in our lives in that process we call mindfulness, daily, this will start to diminish as we become active participants in our daily lives. We become more mindful of our actions.
The Breath
Utilizing our breath is a way we can bring ourselves back from being lost in endless thoughts and feelings. Many people have tried meditation or progressive relaxation,
Tai Chi, even Yoga. Which ever works for you to bring you back to place of relaxation and quiet is what is best for you.
The purpose of this discussion is to discuss mindfulness.
If we can make a commitment to ourselves to put ourselves first and for most for a period of 20 minutes a day several days a week, then we are on our way to achieving success.
Once you have made the decision on how you would like to practice utilizing our breath, and start to implement this practice. You can do this through a formalized Yoga or Meditation Class, or through your own twenty-minute meditation practice.
One of the important steps is to take several cleansing breaths in through your nose filling your body with air and stretching your arms up allowing your abdomen to rise. You can stretch tall, and as you are able you can breathe the air slowly out of your mouth making a sighing type of nose.
Repeating this 1-2 more times putting in your intention for a relaxing and calming meditation would be a wonderful first start. Keep breathing slowly in through your nose filling your abdomen and slowing breathing out through your nose if you are able. Remembering that our mind likes to wander. Just gently allow yourself to bring your mind back by simply eliciting a thought of clouds floating through the sky, simply having the extraneous thought or thoughts be carried away by the next cloud. Or imagine a giant blackboard and wiping the blackboard clean as you allow your body to relax, as you call to mind a relaxing scene you have enjoyed in the past., such as a beach or mountain scene.
Continue slow breathing throughout this time period in through your nose and out through your nose comfortably.
When you sense your time or 20minutes has gone by, slowly stretch and take a couple of cleansing breaths and being grateful for what you achieved.
