The Art of Mindfulness: How to be Still in a Busy World

Give peace a chance. Be willing to give yourself some time with your thoughts. Practice mindfulness and being still amidst the noise. We need to tune ourselves into being mindful.

Don’ become overwhelmed at every little thing in life. Mindfulness is not about a quiet, empty mind. However, you should not just fill your mind, but pay attention to the present moment.

Sense and sensuality

It’s difficult to sometimes contain my brain from wandering and racing while meditating. However, constant practice is more important. I have learnt to recognize when I wander off and bring back my focus and attention to the present.

Anything that challenges deeply embedded habits and behaviours are bound to feel both difficult and counter-intuitive. Change doesn’t just happen overnight. It is an on-going process.

However, mindfulness does not mean we need to change who we are. It simply requires us to cultivate and harness the best of who we are. Being mindful helps us engage parts of our minds that we don’t normally access when we’re mindlessly running on autopilot.

Simple ways to find breathing space

These steps will help you stay calm when under pressure. It’s a quick way to create a helpful little solace for you to gather your thoughts.

Awareness

Notice whatever thoughts and feelings are going through your mind. Acknowledge unpleasant feelings or uncomfortable sensations, but don’t engage with them. This level of awareness becomes a way of living. As we become more in tune with who we are.

Gather and focus your attention

Focus on breathing; the way your chest expands as you inhale and deflates as you exhale. Anchor yourself in the present. As a result, if your mind wanders, gently guide it back to the breath and refocus. I’m slowly learning to live in the moment, rather than worrying about the past or the future.

“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.”

Jon Kabat-Zinn

Expand attention

Get a sense of your body as a whole. You may feel a tension in your back or a slight sense of swaying. However, feel the integration between your breath and your body, and imagine your breath can access any part of your body that feels uncomfortable.

When you are ready to return to awareness,  gently move your fingers and toes; allow your eyes to open, and you are back in the room.

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Be alone

Find time to get away from the hustle and bustle and be alone. Taking time out is vital in the fast-paced life we live in. A moment of silence to gather your thoughts and reflect is refreshing.

Life and living is in the “now”, so enjoy and soak it all up.

Love, Everyday

Ntha