To Learn to Be Mindful is to Learn Inner Peace

If you read my first blog, I said that one of the purposes of this page was to teach self-love and self-care. I want to help others on their journey of self-discovery to learn to find inner peace in the craziness of the world around us. One of the best places to start, is to practice mindfulness.

Mindfulness is defined as "a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations." This is a technique used by many therapists, as once it is learned, it is a technique that can help you in many situations throughout your lifetime.

Often in our lives, there is so much hustle and bustle happening on a daily basis. Our minds are cluttered with so many thoughts and ideas that sometimes, they are difficult to sort out. I personally, did not realize how cluttered my mind was until I started practicing mindfulness. Don't get me wrong, I knew that when I would lay down at night, my mind would race with thoughts of what I should do and how I should do it. Considering it had been that way most of my life, I didn't really realize that it was all due to a cluttered mind, and yes, there are still times I have to remind myself to be mindful. I just thought it was normal. This is where practicing mindfulness can come in handy.

When you practice mindfulness, it helps you slow your mind down so that the thoughts do not swarm. It actually helps you to sort them out so that you may actually be able to sleep at night. Sounds great, right?

We can practice mindfulness in all areas of our lives from children to adults. One simple way of practicing mindfulness is to focus on your breath. Take a deep breath in through your nose and slowly let it out. Pay attention to how the air feels entering your nose. Is it cold? Then as you breathe out, did the temperature change? To be mindful, just pay attention to how your body feels and reacts to the environment. How does the air feel on your skin? Is it warm? Cold? Do you have goosebumps? How does the ground feel under your feet? You can practice mindful eating. What is the texture of the food? How does it taste? How does it smell? Can you taste the different spices?

There are games that you can play with children to teach them mindfulness. Teaching mindfulness at a young age can help children with their emotions as they grow, especially once they hit adolescence.

Speaking of adolescence, a perfect way for adolescents to practice mindfulness is through music and movement. If you focus on the music, listen for different sounds you've never noticed before, or pick out the different instruments in the song. This is practicing mindfulness. If you move to the music and notice how your body reacts, that is practicing mindfulness. Putting a puzzle together makes you concentrate on the present...you guessed it...mindfulness. There are art-based practices, apps, games, and many other ways to practice mindfulness. Have fun with it.

As you're laying down to sleep, practice mindfulness. Deep listen...Do you hear sounds you don't normally notice? When you're out in nature, try to see things you don't normally notice. When you are driving, how does the road sound underneath your tires?

When you practice mindfulness, it causes you to focus on the present. Then, you aren't worried about what happened in the past or what will happen in the future. This also helps when you are in an emotional situation to not react as strongly as you normally would. It helps you to concentrate more when you're dealing with stress. This is so much healthier for you, as it keeps you in a calm state and allows you to think things through rationally.

Another thing you can do to practice mindfulness (and one of my personal favorites) is practicing gratitude. Make a gratitude list each day, or keep a gratitude journal, in which you write at least 3 to 5 things that you are grateful for. This helps you to be mindful of your blessings, even when you are going through a difficult time. There is always something to be grateful for. Plus, this one comes with a bonus! The more that you focus on the good, the more good is attracted to you. This, My Friend, is the Law of Attraction, which we will talk about more at some point down the road.

So, your focus for this week is to practice mindfulness. Focus on the environment and the effect it has on your body. Try it and watch how life-changing it can be to your emotional well-being and your peace of mind. If you're interested in learning more about some of the practices and techniques, please don't hesitate to send me a message. I will be happy to share some with you.

As always, have a blessed day!