Mindful Living

In order to live mindfully, you need to be aware of the 5 things that is needed: Presence, awareness, appreciation, reflection and action. These five  things are essential in order to attain that inner sense of peace and contentment.

• Presence – it means taking every moment throughout the day and being there not only physically but mentally and spiritually too. It is the way of connecting ourselves with the moment and the environment we are in.

• Awareness – This has become a vital part of all mindfulness activity. It requires you to acknowledge every step, feeling or impact the activity may have in order for you to appreciate yourself and be more aware of it.

• Appreciation – We should always appreciate the things around us, whether is brought by luck or it is caused by great efforts. Be appreciative and see how things will change around you.

• Reflection – Mindfulness is all about how the past experiences makes us a better individual in the future. Think about what you have done in the past and what you are now. See how different the previous experiences affected you and changed you, is it for better or for worse?

• Contentment – After being present, aware, appreciative and reflecting on your life, It is time to be contented on what you currently have in your life. Lead it for the better not just for other people, but for yourself. 

How To Practice Mindful Living

1. Find Peace in your Life

Mindfulness is a form of meditation practice – you need to make an effort to practice it everyday for you to see how it wonderfully affects you. We often go thinking about the meeting we have tomorrow, or the dinner with your family in the evening or the work that you have to finish within the day. Whether it be the past, present or future, some reflecting on your life will not hurt and who knows? It may even lead to a healthier and better life.

2. Your Physical and Mental Energy Matters

Everyday, we spent a lot of our time and energy in order to be productive for the day. We doesn’t even realize that the amount of energy that we have for the day will dictate how will our day go. If our energy level is low, we’ll have a hard time finishing task as we will easily get tired and sleepy causing us to be doing less than what we intended to do.

3. One Thing at a Time

In a world were multi-tasking became a habit, it is hard to keep our minds off from so many things. Being mindful requires you to focus on one thing at a time. Single tasking is actually easier than you thought. Also, it makes you finish your tasks faster than doing everything all at once. Bringing your focus on one thing gives you the type of clarity that you need and improves your thinking and mental health greatly.

4. Mindful Exercises

Aside from practicing mindfulness through meditation, we recommended you trying the mindful exercises too. Mindful exercise is the combination of mindfulness and exercise where you are connecting the muscles of your body and your mind too. It is also a great way of attaining the mindful state which is important in making our day hassle and stress-free!

5. Learn when to Let Go

Learning when to let go is easier said than done in any circumstances. No one actually wants to let go of the things that has been pretty much part of your everyday life. But in cases where your peace and calm is compromised, you should think again if the thing is worth the stress that it entails with. Letting go of the clutters in our mind will definitely ease your burden and at the same time frees your mind and soul.

Benefits of Being Mindful During Exercise

You’ll have a stronger mind and body connection. As you focus on your exercise, your muscle works with your mind. Workouts or exercises brings a better outcome when you are being conscious of the workout that you are doing. Being mindful during an exercise gets more out of each exercise and workout making your body and mind stronger.

You’ll have better workout or exercise outcomes. Whenever you focus on a task given to you, you tend to have much better output, right? It is the same with working out or exercising. As you focus more on each muscles and the quality of movement, you get the most out of each movement bringing you a great quality exercise.

You’ll be even more satisfied with your mind and body. We workout and exercise because we want to be healthy and fit. Adding mindfulness to your daily exercise is just an add-on. A good workout and exercise satisfies not only your body muscles but your mind as well.

How To Be More Mindful During Exercise

1. Know your purpose for your Workout

Most people workout or exercise mainly because they want to shed some weight. But let’s be real, no one will immediately burn a lot of calories from just working out once. If you have a goal or purpose on working out, you’ll have something to look forward to or expect at the end of the sessions. Achieving these goals will definitely make you feel better and confident about yourself. Here are some examples of your workout purpose:

• To finish a cycle of workout
• To strengthen some body muscles which you think needs improvement
• To challenge yourself and achieve greater goals
• To work out on a certain period of time and to burn a specific number of calories
• To focus on a specific area of fitness such as endurance, cardio and others.

2. Keep in mind the reason why you are started the Workout

There is no rush in achieving your dream weight or body. Everything takes time and you must take your time exercising by keeping yourself focused on your goals. Always remember why started the plans and stick to it until you have reached a milestone. Pat yourself on the back after a good workout session. Don’t forget to reflect why you exercise and how the workouts and exercises will help you. Here are some examples:

• Workouts in the morning will help me get through the day with a much better energy
• It really feels fulfilling finishing a workout session
• I’ll have a better sleep if I exercise during the day
• My body deserves better and so I will keep exercising
• Workouts and exercises relieves my stress

3. Take your Time, No Rush

Remember that workouts work better when you are focused on what you are doing and the muscles that you are targeting. Take each step, exercise and movement with such caution and focus. Focus on your form, posture and holding your core muscles. Enjoy the feeling of your muscles contraction and just enjoy the sweats and pain that comes out from it.

4. Breathe

Breathing is not only essential in mindfulness but also when working out. As you work out, you need more air to fill in your lungs to be able to do the next movements. If you are on a few minutes quick rest in between workouts, you may try mindful breathing by closing your eyes and feel each breath. You’ll see how good it can clear your mind and brings your focus back on whatever you are doing.

Mindful Drawing

Mindful drawing, also called as “meditative drawing”, is a mindfulness technique that trains your mind by bringing your attention and focus into drawing. It helps put the mind in a calm and stable state, stimulating your brain’s creative center. Mindful drawing is not just for artists or painters who are creative individuals. It is recommended for whoever want to achieve that state of awareness.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness and mindful drawing is just one of them. Attaining a mindful state through art can be done not just by drawing but also by doing simple activities like carving, crocheting, painting or anything that involves art. Keeping the hands busy is the way of drawing in bringing one’s focus on the present moment.

Benefits of Mindful Drawing

Mindful drawing has a lot benefits aside from keeping your mind and hand busy. Here are some things that you should know about its benefits:

• Helps you reconnect and reflect with your life
• Give you a sense of peace
• Stimulates the creative center of your brain
• Decreases the level of stress of anxiety
• Gives yourself some alone time
• Brings back your confidence and comfort
• Diverts your attention into something more productive
• Improves attention and ability to focus

Relaxing Drawing Exercises

Before practicing mindful drawing, you will need the following: colored pens, a sketchbook or notebook.

1. Attention and Awareness Circles

Any mindfulness activity requires you to sit down comfortably, relaxed and in a quiet and peaceful space. If you are ready, let’s start your attention and awareness circles exercise.

This activity only has 1 rule: Draw circles

1. Make sure that the circles that you draw are always closed and refrain from leaving it open. It doesn’t matter if it isn’t a perfect circle as long as it is closed. Keeping it closed is a sign that your full attention is on the activity that you are doing.

2. Keep your eyes focused on the tip of the pen while still being aware of the pen you are holding and the drawing that you are making.

3. Make sure to consciously think of the place where you will put the next circle on.

4. Repeat this step until you reached the certain picture that you had on your mind and bring yourself to be aware of the whole drawing process and the picture you created after.

2. Draw Your Breath

Hold the pen in between your fingers and bring your attention to your breath. Without trying to control the way you breath, start following the rhythm of your breathing. Let the pen follow the up and down rhythm of your breathing moving from left to right.

While drawing your breathing, bring your focus and attention on your breath and how you pause in between. Let you hand and fingers take care of the drawing while you are letting the sensation and emotions take over your body.

Keep your grip on the pen relaxed and keep your arm and forearm off the paper. Your hand may shake for a few second but let your hand have the freedom on how it draws. It will definitely give you a liberating feeling!

Remember: Don’t try to control your breathing and let it naturally take its course. 

3. Drawing Mandalas

Mandalas are popular these days as it encompasses an idea of wholeness and unity. Mandalas are used for therapy session and are great in expressing one’s emotions and bringing inner peace to oneself.

You may either draw a mandala or buy a ready-made mandala that you can just color beautifully however you like. Drawing mandalas is said to be a form of prayer in the Buddhist tradition. Mandalas show your current state of mind and how you are feeling while drawing it.

It is a good mindfulness activity as you become one with your drawing bringing you in a state of awareness that you need.

Mindful Breathing

This one of the essential parts of relaxation. The breathing has a great influence on how deep and great your relaxation will be. It can be done by standing or sitting down anywhere you want to. Here are the steps for mindful breathing:

1. Focus on your breathing. Breathe in and out slowly. One breathing cycle should last for at least 6 seconds. Take your time while breathing.
2. Breathe in through your nose then release the air through your mouth. Let the air effortlessly move in and out of your lungs.
3. Let go of your thoughts and whatever it is that might be bothering you. Focus your attention on the task on hand.
4. Watching your breathe can help you focus more. It brings a sense of awareness and it fills your body with it.
5. Feel the awareness all over your body and release the energy to the world.

Mindful Observation

The name itself defines this exercise. Feeling and observing the simple elements of your environment is also an act of relaxation. It is designed to connect us with the environment, especially nature, and attract its energy.

1. Scan your environment and choose one natural object for you to focus on. This can be a blooming flower or a tree that has falling leaves.
2. Focus on this object for a minute or two while relaxing. Watch every element of it and how nature is such a wonderful thing.
3. Allow yourself to be consumed by everything that you are seeing on the object and even its presence.
4. Feel its energy and allow it to overwhelm your body.

Mindful Listening

The ear is one of the most sensitive organs and is responsible for our sense of hearing. This exercise helps make use of our send of hearing and listed to sounds and music in a non-judgmental way. Sounds and music has its way of relieving the past which may often be sad or unbearable for some. In this exercise, we will ignore the turmoil in our head and focus on some neutral music that will enhance your awareness.

1. It helps if you close your eyes and wear earphones.
2. Pick a song randomly and listen to it as if it’s the first time you heard it. Allow yourself to get lost in the music and let your mind dance along its rhythm.
3. Fell deeper into it and listen to each of the sound that accompanies the music. Feel the energy and awareness as you intertwine your mind with the music in your ears.

Mindful Seeing

The eyes affect the way we see and visualize things. It is a great factor in attaining the relaxation and awareness that we want.  The eyes becomes a window to something more powerful.

1. Look for a space at your home where the window is overlooking the scenery outside.
2. Look at the birds flying, the clouds moving or just the grass dancing with the breeze of the air. Focus on how it looks and its contour of it. See the scene as if it’s the first time you saw it.
3. Observe the wonders of the scenery and do not be distracted. Pull yourself away from the thoughts that might be bothering you and bring yourself back to the state of mindfulness.

Tactile Exercise

This exercise can be done anywhere and does not require long amount of time. You just need to feel your body.

1. Pinch your arm or leg (not too much) or use a tip of a ballpen or cotton and stick it on your leg or arms.
2. Pay attention on the different sensation that will run through your body.
3. Absorb the emotions that you felt as you are applying pressure.
4. Allow this awareness to deal with the discomfort and the emotions that is caused by the unwanted sensation.

Sense of Smell Exercise

All five senses of the body have its way of transferring these sensations to the brain. Try smelling something strong like coffee beans or perfume. Allow yourself to savor the scent that you smell and feel the sensation as it goes through your nose.

Melting Exercise

This exercise is best done with breathing exercise, mindful seeing and mindful observation. This takes a lot of practice and focus but once you are able to do it. It will be an amazing state of mindfulness.

1. Pick your favorite place at home and take a seat.
2. Relax on your seat and allow yourself to melt into your surroundings softly.
3. Feel them as if you are one with everything that you see.

 Full Sensory Awareness Exercise

Stop. Breathe. Absorb. Overwhelm your body by using all your senses and let them fill you in. Let yourself be over-stimulated by these sensations and allow it to keep you in this state for quite a while. What are you feeling? How are you feeling?

Silence Exercise

Are you bothered by the things happening around you? Take a break for a minute. Spend a few minutes in complete silence. Deafening your ear from the hustle and bustle around you. This is very useful at work when you are so stressed and need some time for yourself. You might use an earplug if you are having a hard time focusing.

The “Me” Exercise

Have you ever tried focusing on yourself? Like, you alone and does not care about anything else? Become more aware of yourself by sitting down on your favorite space and talking to yourself. Start the sentences by saying “I”. Be self-centered as much as possible and feel the emotions as it overwhelms your body.

Challenge Your Belief Exercise

People are unique in their own way and so as their backgrounds. We are born in a culture where beliefs are passed down by our parents or grandparents where we tend to believe it and make it a part of us. Have you ever tried questioning these beliefs? Challenge yourself by disagreeing or questioning a belief that you believe in so much. Take it as an exercise and see how it makes you feel and how much it clears or gives your thought a benefit of the doubt.

The Mindful Plot Exercise

Are you a fan of movies? Has it ever occurred to you that when you are so engrossed in the movie that you can’t get over the plot you are already practicing mindfulness? Watch a movie you know that has a deep plot and let yourself get lost in the movie. Feel the different emotions that you have felt during the time you are watching.

Undivided Attention Exercise

Look at your surroundings. Think of a thing that you’ve never done before. Something that piques your interest. Take your time and gather your strength and motivation to start it. How does it feel to be doing something that you’ve never done before? Feel the emotions and sensations as it takes over your body. Give the activity your undivided attention and focus your energy in to finishing the task at hand.

Candle Staring Exercise

Have you ever tried looking at the flames of the candle after you lit it? Did you know it can also be used as a way of meditating? Get your favorite scented candle or whatever candle you have and focus your eyes on the dancing flame in front of you. Give it your full focus for about 10 minutes. Do it in between breaks from studying. When you feel like your mind is drifting away, pull it back and bring it to the candle flame again. Let your body relax and feel your body as you are watching it.

Walking Meditation

Find a time on your busy day to do a little walking. It may be the rooftop of your office or the nearby park. Anywhere that you can spend some time walking alone and undisturbed by anything. Give it at least 10 to 15 minutes of your time or more, if you can. It is much better if the place has fewer distractions so that you can put your focus on your walking. Feel every sensation as you alternately use your feet to walk. Focus on your breathing and bring your attention to every part of your body.

Eating Meditation

This one is something people rarely hear about. Everyday we satiate our hunger by feeding ourselves. Did you know that with a little practice, you can even do meditation while eating? If you find a time to eat alone, by yourself, bring your focus on what you are eating and how the taste, texture and smell of it makes you feel. You don’t need to do this until you finish your meal. A few bites are enough.

Mindful Break

Checking our cellphone every morning has become an unbreakable habit for everyone. We do it even between tasks. Take this challenge and try to break this habit of yours. Taking a break from this kind of habits is also a form of meditation. You are turning yourself away from the vices that you had. Notice how not holding on to your usual gadget will make you feel. Give it your undivided attention and focus on yourself.

Mindful Brushing

Everyday we do things out of habit. Like after waking up in the morning, you take a shower and go to work. Even brushing your teeth is part of it and we don’t really give it much thought when we are doing it. These things are performed automatically by our body that we rarely notice it. One day, try to focus on brushing your teeth after you shower. Enjoy the experience and notice how the brush runs through your teeth and even what the toothpaste really tastes like. Let your body use its senses and absorb the energy that it has emitted.

Raisin Meditation

Find a place where you are comfortable with. Make sure that it is quiet and has no distractions. Remove every distraction that you could possibly have around you. Lastly, have a box of raisins in hand as this will be the main ingredient of this mindfulness exercise.

1. Take a piece of a raisin and place it on the palm of your hand. Look at it for a moment as if you never knew what it was and it is the first time you will eat it. Touch it using the tip of your thumb and finger and feel its texture. Let the sensation flow through your body.
2. Now, look at the raisin carefully and be attentive to its details. Notice how the edges of the raisin look and how it casts a shadow on your palm.
3. Bring the raisin towards your nose and smell it. How does it smell? Is it good? Let your nose smell every inch of it and welcome the different scents.
4. Lastly, slowly take the raisin and put it on your tongue. Let it linger on there for a while and let the taste fill your taste buds. It is normal to find yourself salivating while you are doing this. Then slowly chew the raisin and feel how it bursts in your mouth.
5. Focus on chewing and feel the different textures that it has.  Before swallowing, notice how you are feeling right now and how the raisin affects you. Let it overwhelm your body and welcome it completely.
6. Once you are ready, swallow the raisin and observe any feelings, reactions, thoughts and emotions that you felt during the whole process. Bring this full awareness and take some time to sit and reminisce the sensations all over again.