If you’re anything like me, your mind has an ability to jump through about 50 things in the span of 10 seconds. Having just walked out of my 10yo’s parent/teacher interview, staying focused is something my daughter is challenged with as well. On average we have over 80,000 thoughts a day. Wait, what?! You heard me. No wonder we lump the act of mindfulness into the same category as climbing Mount Everest. Thank goodness there are EASY ways to bring it into our day. Baby steps. No one climbed a mountain in a day and training our mind is a long haul (but rewarding) task. Here are some of my favorites:
Close you eyes and listen to the sounds around you. Open up when you’ve identified 5. Too easy? Make it 10.
Look around and take in the colors. Can you find 5 different colors? Shades? Tones?
Mindful eating. If you've ever visited a temple, this is one of my favorite things they do. Every bite of their food is deliberate. The utensil is placed down between each bite and the food is savored. Exploring temperature, texture, identifying subtle ingredients. This all becomes part of the experience. Not only do you actually enjoy what you're eating more, but you tend to eat less.
Count 10 breaths. Give your busy mind something to do by mentally saying, "I am breathing in 10, I am breathing out 10, I am breathing in 9..."
Mindful walking. Leave technology at home. Notice new things. If it's Autumn you may notice the trees changing colors, otherwise it could be the temperature, the feel of your foot against the ground, the sound of the birds, and anything else that shows up for you.
Yoga is obviously high on the list and my ultimate favorite. It helps bring all of this together. Breath, movement, feeling, being. If you don't have the hour spare for yoga then the ideas above are a GREAT way to bring mindfulness into your day.
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