The art of mindfulness is being completely present and being aware of who we are and what we're doing. It is also defined as not being overly reactive by the world around you. While its something you already have, its seen more through regular practice when done daily. You can look at mindfulness as bringing awareness to your experiences by your senses along with your state of mind and through your thoughts and emotions. Being mindful has been seen through research to remodel the structure of your brain.
The main goal of mindfulness is to wake up your mental, emotional, and even physical processes. Part of practicing mindfulness with meditation is that it's more of a journey and not a specific destination. Your mind won't become free of thought, but in essence, will become a place where each idea or moment is a momentous one that sparks joy. It is working on sensations, emotions, and thoughts. Part of it is suspending judgment and letting your natural curiosity-free. It's also about coming into every experience with kindness and warmth to others and yourself.
How to Practice Mindfulness and Meditation
Part of practicing mindfulness and meditation is taking time to pause and breathe instead of rushing into something. It is readily available. Here are some steps that help you on your journey to mindfulness through meditation.
- Set some time apart from your day. You won't need any specific spot or equipment, just time and space.
- Observe the present moment that way it truly is. It's not about quieting the mind or perfect calmness. It's about paying attention to the current moment without judgment.
- Let all your judgments fall away. Make notes of your judgments and let them pass freely. Please don't hold on to them.
- Return to the present moment. You may get carried away in thought. It's going to happen but quickly return to the present every time.
- Be kind to yourself. Don't judge yourself whenever your mind wanders or a random thought jumps in. Recognize it and bring your mind back to the present.
Why You Should Journal Your Journey
Mindfulness is a journey. Like many journeys, knowing where you came from and how you got there, is vital to your course in life. Having a daily meditation planner can help. Scheduling out a part of your day to practice mindfulness can keep you on track and will also help you record your progress.
An enlightenment planner is perfect, as you can look back on your journal entries and see where you made improvements. You can use this journal to write down your thoughts, feelings, and emotions so you can now see what your distractions were or if you need to change times or place for practice.
Journaling or even using a daily meditation planner will help you grow in your mindfulness journey. Keeping track of who you were at the beginning of the process will allow you to see how much you've changed in the bigger picture. Change happens slowly, and you may not see it right away without the help of an enlightenment journal.