Mindfulness

Has been the most spoken of word in the Covid era

A state of mind, coping mechanism, a fad??

Reading about it only tells me what it means to different people, interpretations, applications.

Maybe I too have been practicing mindfulness subconsciously, Not at the scale I would have liked to, but in nugget size.

Now I consciously think about how to live in the present. 

How to experience life fully in the moment.

For someone whose mind and interests are like stone skimming, this has been a valuable exercise.

I have always been " living for the weekend" waiting for what is to come, rather than enjoying what I have.

And being a worrier,  I tend to look at the future ( like a Monday morning viewed from a Sunday evening)  and allow my imagination to think of failure rather than allow the moment to happen. Stress was a constant in my life.

Even when I have control, even with bills I can afford to pay or things I had time to do, were always preying on my mind.

Now, as I find moments to hold and treasure, I train myself to find peace and joy in the everyday things.

Here is how I practice mindfulness in my own little ways:

My morning coffee

What once was a cup of coffee is now my first emotion for the day

as the milk boils, I watch it, observing the heating, the bubbling and slow boiling

as the coffee simmers, I take in the aroma.

The first sip taken without the distraction of a phone or people around me starts the day for me.

No more waiting to gulp it down, waiting to get dressed and rush! 

It is my time, my awakening moment!

My Run

Earlier, it used to be a tick mark, a stressor on days when I had plenty to do, yet felt the obligation to do this one more thing as well.

Thinking this would maybe reduce the stress.

Though a passion, and I enjoy the habit, sometimes it can be all consuming.

Now I focus more on the whole event.  On the weight of my body and feeling of weightlessness as I get into a rhythm, the smell, sounds and sights around me, my muscles loosening from the night, feeling calmer as I focus on my breathing consciously.  Establishing the fluidity between mind and body.

I am more aware of my body and how it moves and responds to each breath and motion. 

I am less stressed eventually and enjoy the experience.

My Fire

There has always been plenty to keep me passionate about life, baking, writing, getting a good sweat out.

Baking is an emotional connection, writing soothes my soul, a good workout satisfies my body. 

They have now become an integral part of my life, I do not wait to find time for them, but they have eased into a schedule for me.

I find them therapeutic and energising, each activity involving all my senses. 

I do not anticipate the pleasure or benefits I foresee, but do them in the then and now.

Living life for that precious moment has helped me face and overcome a lot of stressors which have occupied my mind in the past year.

New relationships have helped me see myself for who I am and what I offer and make me want to be a better person to bring synergy into the relationship.

Small steps towards a bigger, wholesome me!!