Keeping a sound mind is the key to happiness, stability, and success in all areas of life. Today we are going to talk about methods purposed to preserve peace of mind: Mindfulness.
Mindfulness is one concept that consists of two basic components, the concept being to fully focus one’s mind on the present moment. The first component involves paying attention to your surroundings in an effort to establish the reality of your environment and become present within it. The second component involves relaxing the mind by bringing awareness to one specific thing. For example, people in a meditative state focus on their breathing or a specific phrase to keep them centered during the exercise.
Exercise 1: Becoming Present
It’s easy for the little things to fall from our attention during the workweek, but being totally aware is worth taking a pause from the chaos. Take a moment to close your eyes (after reading this paragraph). What do you hear? What do you smell? What do you feel around you? Recognize your heartbeat and the feeling on your skin. Then open your eyes. What do you see around you above your head and under your feet? In front of and behind you? Being present allows us to come to our center and enjoy the moment we’re currently standing in. Try this next time you listen to music, take a swim, go for a walk, or drive on a highway surrounded by trees.
Exercise 2: Meditation
Find a comfortable and quiet space to sit. Your space doesn’t have to be completely silent. Sounds such as heavy rain, running water, or ocean waves are helpful to meditation in some cases. Feel free to put on your own relaxing forest sounds or relaxing music, light some incents or candles, and prepare a comfortable place to sit. Get settled into a comfortable and seated position. Focus on your breaths and begin to make them deeper/slow them down. If your mind starts to wander, or thoughts start coming up, focus on one specific sound. This can be the relaxing sounds you set up or your own personal meditation mantra, like the stereotypical “ooooommmm”. Try to maintain this state of focus for a consecutive 10 to 15 minutes.
