Exercise Your Mindfulness Muscles
If I told you there’s a three-week or three-year plan to achieving lifelong happiness, peace, and fulfillment is your mind tempted to hear this plan and read on?
The mind loves to operate in terms of the “Future” and “Time”. It always is looking for ways to feel better. It may say “I am not good enough yet, there is more I can be doing”.
I know my mind tells me this a lot and it overwhelms me. I think I “should” be doing more when in reality I need to focus on what truly is serving me. The mind thinks in the future everything will get better than it is right now. Happiness will be achieved because… “I will be retired” “I will be fit” “I will have enough money”. I am telling you that that belief is an illusion.
I struggle with these same thoughts about the future being better, and when I catch myself I switch my wording to “it will be different”. There is no reason why me and you can not be at peace and feel fulfilled every day, every moment starting Now.
The answer to freeing oneself from thousands of years of human experience and conditioning does not require you to work hard to spend lots of Time bettering yourself. The answer is to be present. In this moment you can move away from your thoughts and welcome a sense of presence. You are here to be Here, not There, so I challenge you to practice being Here.
*stop reading, close your eyes and take five deep breaths sighing all the air out on the exhale*
^ Seriously, take this moment for yourself to just Be Here Now. ^
This is where mindfulness comes in. Since mindfulness is not the brain’s default mode we must exercise our Mindfulness Muscles.
Just as you walk your dog, go to the gym, eat food and drink water, you can practice mindfulness in your daily life. You don’t do it because you “should”, you practice for the good that it brings to your own life and the ripple effect it has on others. And by welcoming mindfulness into your life you practice mindfulness while doing all the aforementioned things ;)
Mindfulness = Present Moment Awareness
Mindfulness has brought me a greater sense of patience, compassion, empathy, faith, clarity, and curiosity. My mindfulness practice has strengthened my ability to catch myself in a moment of reaction before I say/do something I may not mean. I don't always catch myself, it's a life practice that I will continue to strengthen.
This week I encourage you to dedicate 5 minutes to just being with yourself, not moving. Use your breath as a focus point or put on a guided meditation. Set an attainable goal for yourself to practice. If you can do all 7 days this week great, if you can commit to practice 2 days this week that is equally as great!
As you practice your mind will wander, simply bring it back to the breath and observe your thoughts float by without attaching on to them.
Most people give up meditation because they “can’t stop thinking” “can’t stop thoughts from popping up”, but this is part of the practice. This is how you exercise your mindful muscles. You constantly bring your attention back to the present moment (breath) and flex those muscles in the moment you caught yourself from going down the rabbit hole of thought.
As you practice mindfulness meditation you will also be practicing self-compassion, what a beautiful combo! If you would like further resources or want to talk about different types of practices (there's more than just sitting meditation) I am here for you!
"Live Dirty, Eat Clean & Green",
Lizzie Shutt