Mindfulness

Imagine living in a world where you are so deeply routed in the present moment; richly tasting every colour, exquisitely experiencing every shrill of sound and joyfully content in what is your true 'now' whether it may be perceived as 'good' or 'bad'. For a long time I didn't really understand what it meant to be mindful, the word itself is contradictory but through reading different books and articles and trying it for myself, mindfulness really inhabits the act of being mind-less rather than mind-full. It involves living fully in the present moment and being completely in the 'now', without judgement or non-acceptance. When you are first introduced to this you might think it is an airy concept but it naturally enriches your life experience and values beyond belief...like being drunk except without the hangover lol! Here are some ways that I have found help me in becoming more grounded in the present moment and appreciating the magic of mindfulness.

Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment.

1. Mindful Moments

In a recent post I talked about how you can introduce a gratitude practice through making it part of your daily routine. Similarly you can incorporate the magic of mindfulness through your various daily activities. Choose one task that you carry out on 'auto-pilot' every day, perhaps it is washing your face, making your bed or driving to work. I have decided to start mindfully straightening my hair each morning. Slowly, bring awareness to each of your senses. What can you feel? What can you see? What can you hear? What can you taste? What can you smell? It may look something like this, 'I can feel the heavy weight of the GHD in my hand. I can feel each strand of hair tug at my scalp as I feel the heat warming my locks. I can see varying shades of brown and blonde. I can hear the sizzle of electricity. I can taste peppermint toothpaste on my tongue. I can smell the burning heat and frying hair.' Try and experience this truly authentic moment without judgement, just view the facts. If your thinking mind starts to analyse the situation and perhaps begins adding untrue commentary like, 'Ew your hair is disgusting...you need to get a cut...is that a grey strand?', just observe your mind and watch how it tries to interpret the situation into something of which it is not.

2. Awareness

'Nothing that comes and goes is you. You are the knowing, not the condition that is known'. I read this beautiful quote this morning in 'Stillness Speaks' by Eckhart Tolle, a true sign from the universe, I believe, as it gave me a greater understanding of mindfulness. Emotions and feelings are oscillating. The beliefs that our mind contains are not constant, they are always changing and morphing into something new. As human beings we are solid and whole. We grow and evolve but essentially we are one with ourselves forever, this includes our true inner self. Our mind however is different, the thoughts it contains are not part of this 'one' as they are completely separate to our true selves. This is difficult to explain but if you think about it, your thoughts are the only thing that change in reaction to outside stimuli. For example, if you get bitten by a dog your thoughts are suddenly consumed with fear, anger and sadness even though moments previously you may have felt boundless happiness and joy. Your leg may be bleeding and swollen for a few days but eventually it heals, it returns to the true place of 'oneness' in which it always has been and is. Your mind however does not return to this place, perhaps it has now developed a fear of animals and walking alone. The difference between the mind and our true inner selves is that our mind is not who we are, our thoughts are not who we are, our feelings are not who we are; if they were they would be permanent and static. Who we are is the silent watcher of the thoughts and the mind. We are the awareness behind the thoughts not the thoughts themselves, that is the key to mindfulness. Instead of engaging with your thinking mind, silently watch it. Watch how your mind jumps to different conclusions, engages in negative self talk and makes unnecessary judgements. Try not to allow your mind to add more judgement by giving out to yourself for thinking certain things. I am really sorry if I haven't explained this very well as it took me a long time to understand it myself. The one thing I read that really advanced me in my understanding of this was in the opening of Eckhart Tolle's book, 'The Power of Now'. He spiritually awoke one night when he cried out in pain, 'I am so sick of myself'. He suddenly realised that he had split his 'self' in two; who is the 'I' that is fed up and who is the 'myself' that is being fed up with? The 'I' is the true inner awareness within you, the mindful watcher and presence, the self is the egoic thoughts and feelings which we associate with as our true selves. My mind hurts a little after writing this, I hope I explained it as best I could!

3. Listen like a New Language

I noticed in school one day that the only time in which I was completely and mindfully absorbed in the present moment was during my French class. We were doing tape work and I was concentrating with so much diligence and commitment that my thinking mind had stopped racing, all I was focused on was what the recorded voice was saying. What if we could do this in our daily conversations? Today if you are conversing with someone, try and listen as if they are speaking a foreign language. Instead of thinking about what you will say next or analysing their mind, try simply listen and absorb the information without judgement but full acceptance. This will not only enhance your mindful magic but it will also strengthen your relationships with others.

4. Passion

Have you ever been in so much fear and danger that you stopped thinking? There is a reason why horror films, bungee jumping and rollercoasters are so popular; they halt your thinking mind and bring you directly into the present moment. Luckily for any non daredevils out there like me, an activity you adore that is carried out with full attention, love and mastery will produce the same effect. Da Vinci wasn't thinking about what his neighbour's sister said to him three years ago when he was painting the Mona Lisa, Misty Copeland wasn't thinking about what she'll wear out Saturday night when she gracefully leaped on stage, Lionel Messi wasn't thinking about what he would cook for dinner when he scored his winning goal; all of these masters of different trades were so completely consumed in their passion that they had no time for thought, they were focused on the NOW, they were mindful. There is something out there that you love, perhaps you haven't found it yet and it is still waiting for you. Maybe it is reading, writing, singing, acting, painting, walking or simply smiling. Your passion is waiting for you to completely immerse yourself in it and discover the magic of mindfulness.

5. Meditation

What would be a mindfulness post without mentioning meditation?! Please don't knock it before you try it. I once thought all meditators and mindful masters were spiritual hippy fairies, totally not connected with reality when, realistically, those who practice meditation are perhaps the most mindfully connected and aware people in our world. The benefits of meditation towards mindfulness and life in general are endless. Through taking even five minutes out of your day to be silent and still, you can hugely expand your present awareness and consciousness. The free apps Headspace and Aura contain many short, simple and sweet guided meditations. Similarly there are many short videos on youtube like this and this which are bound to give you that mindful magic!

6. Breathe

The breath, the truest most important embodiment of life. Through focusing on your breath you are focusing on life itself as it flows in and out of you. Try taking big deep slow breaths through your nose. Listen to the sound of the inhale and exhale. Focus completely on the feeling of the air passing through your nostrils, down your throat and into your lungs. Imagine a beautiful colour passing through your body spreading love, peace and happiness to each fingertip and toe, to every nook and cranny. Watch the way your belly rises and expands. If your thoughts begin to drift away, bring the awareness back to your breath. Breathe out every last drop of air until there is no more left inside you. Repeat this process for one minute and notice how you feel afterwards. Try not to punish yourself if your mind constantly drifts to its thinking state, it is completely natural at the beginning and how we as humans have been groomed. Hopefully you will feel a little more relaxed, at ease and clear headed. Now imagine being like that all of the time; that is mindfulness! There are many other breathing techniques which can enhance your mindful abilities, here is a tutorial on my favourite exercise.