Meditation and mindfulness are hot topics these days, but do you need to go to meditation classes or retreats to live mindfully?
Living mindfully will look different for everyone. Some people will seek out mindfulness classes or attend meditation retreats to deepen their ability to live mindfully and others will cringe at the thought of sitting in silence for any period of time.
It is possible to bring mindfulness into every day with the intention of experiencing life more fully and leaving our worries behind, even if only for a moment.
Just this morning I found myself thinking about this post and ironically was not being mindful! Being mindful requires being present in the moment rather than thinking about the past or the future. Anxiety occurs when we are thinking about the past or the future not the present.
How do we bring ourselves into the present moment? How can we live more mindfully?
This morning, I brought myself back to the present as I walked my dogs by watching my puppy’s funny little walk and tiny tail wagging. Then my mind wandered, I noticed it and brought my attention to the moment again – looking at the drops of dew on the blades of grass beside the sidewalk.
I think of it as “dipping in and out of mindfulness” as soon as we become aware that we are not present in the moment we have the opportunity to come back to the present and engage with whatever we are doing. This may be paying attention to the feeling of the toothbrush on our teeth, noticing the feeling inside us as we cuddle our child, appreciating the softness of our cat's fur, or tasting chocolate fully.
There is no right or wrong way to live mindfully but what is known is that those who spend more time in the present moment live happier and more fulfilling lives.