What Happened When I Made Mindfulness My Priority?
Aren’t you done with the daily mundane chores? Aren’t you seeking peace? Do you want to connect with yourself and strike a balance in your life?
There is no doubt that there is a growing interest in mindfulness these days. In fact, mindfulness is said to be one of the fastest-growing trends in the world, and the word “mindfulness” has witnessed a fivefold increase in Google searches over the past 10 years.
Many people are taking courses and retreats to learn mindfulness and are gaining a new level of freedom and joy in their lives. It’s a wonderful revolution that’s happening!
There’s a simple method to achieve mindfulness and bliss: STOP
STOP
Stop what you’re doing and open your attention wide,
taking in everything that’s happening right now.
TAKE
Take a slow, deep breath. As you do so, tune into the
sensations of breathing. Gather your attention and hone in on the exact
sensations of breathing right now, in this moment. Aim to be fully present
with the full journey of the breath into and out of the body.
OBSERVE
Observe your body and emotions. What sensations can you
feel in your feet, legs, head, arms, and shoulders? Are there any emotions
present?
Simply sense into whatever is present in the body. Then widen your focus
and open yourself to the moment and what’s arising in the environment.
What can you see, feel, smell, hear, and taste? You have now, quite
literally, come to your senses!
PROCEED
Proceed with what you were doing with an attitude of
gentleness and kindness, and with the intention of integrating this mindful
awareness into your activity.
Mindfulness is really about integrating awareness into everything we do in
our lives. It can be a challenge in the beginning to
“remember to be awake” in the middle of it all, so a deliberate
informal practice of mindfulness can be a great daily practice
to help bridge the gap between formal practice and daily life.
June 2nd, 2018
Sumit Manav
Founder, Lifestyle Yoga