Welcome to Mindfulness Monday! Each week I’m going to share with you some ways you can live more mindfully in the present moment. This week we’ll be learning how to find new experiences in our everyday environment. By learning to be more present, right here, right now, you will live a fuller life, love more completely and free yourself of unnecessary stress and anxiety!
Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks
Have you ever noticed how many things you take for granted everyday? What about things that you “see”, but you don’t really see? Since I have started to practice mindfulness, I’ve noticed more of my surroundings. Instead of arriving at work, getting out of my car and heading into the building, I now “see” the trees, and the landscaping. I “hear” the birds, I look up into the sky and “see’ the moon and stars or have the blessing of seeing the sunrise.
“Wherever you are, be all there.”
Jim Elliot
Mindfulness creates a “pause”, instead of hurrying from one place to the next, or from one thing to the next, you slow down. It’s in that slower pace that you begin to see what you normally ignore. This slower pace transformed the way I experienced each day. I remember the first time I took a few moments to gaze at the sunrise; it was so peaceful. It didn’t take a lot of time, and didn’t affect my agenda other than it enriched the beginning moments of my day. I was slowly learning new ways to see “old” things.
Witnessing the Moment
New experiences became the norm for me when I made mindfulness a part of each day. Pausing for just a few moments leaving my home for work or arriving home at the end of the day allowed me to hear an array of bird songs. I knew there were birds in my yard, but never took the time to listen to them. One afternoon, in just a few moments I heard three distinct bird calls I had never heard before! Another time I was treated to seeing a mama deer and her baby in the field behind my office.
Even more significant than noticing nature around me, I found I experienced the ability to be more present with my friends and family. I wasn’t distracted by the “next thing” on the list, or replaying my day at work. I learned contentment and the ability to enjoy the present moment with others.
Sensing New Experiences
An easy way to practice mindfulness is to look for ways to focus on each of your five senses.
- Eyes-at various times of the day, take just a few moments to focus on what you are “seeing”. Take in the details of something around you. Whether it be nature, or a painting or photograph, even your own image in the mirror.
- Ears- make time to really listen. Whether it’s sounds outside, inside or a conversation. Music is another splendid way to pause; listen to the fullness of a classical composition or the fun lyrics of a popular song.
- Nose/smell-this is a two-fold opportunity, one way to use this sense is to indulge in aromatherapy with essential oils. Enjoy one of your favorite oils diffused or just open a bottle and inhale. Truly take time to notice its distinct fragrance and how it makes you feel. Another way to use this sense is to do the twenty breaths exercise. This simple breathing exercise calms the mind and body, helps you focus on your breath and only takes five minutes!
- Taste-this is a great sense to develop. Be intentional about at least one of your meals, slow down, and taste your food! How many of us eat on the run, in our cars, at our desks at work, even standing up in our own homes! Plan to have at least one meal where you allow time to savor your food. Enjoy the aroma of the food, the appearance, textures, the different flavors in your mouth of each item. Chew slowly, pause between bites. Imagine how much better your food will taste!
- Touch-is perhaps the most overlooked sense. We all receive tactile information about our world every second of the day, but seldom notice. Your behind in a chair, your hand on a glass or a mouse at your computer, eating your food, styling your hair. The list is endless, but how many of those things do you observe? The next time you take a shower, spend a few moments feeling the hot water on your skin, or the next time you receive a hug, linger a little longer, allowing yourself to be held. Of all of the senses touch is the most critical for all human experiences; the human body was not designed to survive without touch.
“Savor the senses, find joy in each moment of an ever-changing life.”
Small Moments=Big Experiences
The outstanding thing about mindfulness is its unlimited opportunities and options. It can be done anywhere, anytime, no rules or stipulations. You can be a novice or an advanced practitioner, it is available to you daily or once in a while. No matter how often you use or don’t use it, whenever you do practice mindfulness, you benefit in a big way. You can’t “ruin” your progress by neglecting to practice for a time like with exercise or learning other skills. If life has intervened and you have not been mindful, just start where you are again to receive immediate benefits.
Ultimately, every small moment that you take time to be present, observe and savor will result in more meaningful experiences for you. As you reap those benefits, you will be more encouraged to make mindfulness a bigger part of your life.
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Yes very true and insightful, I’ve spent my whole life ‘rushing’ through it… to get to where exactly ?