Have you ever been driving home or somewhere familiar only to arrive and not remember parts of the trip? That’s the opposite of mindfulness 🤣. With so many distractions in our lives, it’s easy to get caught up in thinking about the past or the future, and when we do that we miss out on the present.
There are many different interpretations of mindfulness but some are so vague it can be hard to conceptualize. My personal fav is from Spirit Rock co-founder James Baraz:
So how can you practice mindfulness? There’s really no wrong way, there are thousands of practices out there to help you become more present. I love choosing a feeling to bring awareness to, including the hard ones. Let’s say I choose shame (that’s a REALLY hard one for me). Each time it shows up I bring my awareness to my body and ask myself questions. What am I physically feeling? Pain in my chest, racing thoughts, self-doubt, sweaty palms. What caused this feeling? Usually, it's because I think I’ve upset someone. What part of me is hurting? The inner child who thought she never measured up. Can I make space for her? You bet. It’s super uncomfortable, but it’s temporary.
That’s pretty advanced and you don’t have to start there. Another practice is to actually get up and walk around when your smartwatch reminds you it’s time to move. You could even take a deep breath into your belly while you’re at it. There’s no right or wrong.
I love what Ram Dass says about trying to get it right:
Seeing how meditation guided me from being stressed, overwhelmed, and frustrated in business, to clarity, ease, and flow, it felt important to share it with others. If you're curious to learn more about how meditation and mindfulness can support you, grab my free 7 day audio series.