The Magic of Mindfulness

You’re curious about the fascinating qualities that mindfulness invokes.

You look forward to those little moments of peace you have in the mornings, on your lunch break, or on your commute home.

You crave more time that feels like that. More moments that allow yourself to be a bit more still, and a bit calmer.

What makes mindfulness extra special is that you can practice it in every moment, and it allows your body, mind, and spirit to feel more aligned and at peace.

In this overrated rushed culture of this western society, mindfulness can be a key ingredient in shifting your perspective on how you were meant to live.

It can put you on the path to your most authentic self.

Mindfulness is the simple act of being present in the moment of where you are and what you are doing. With doing so, it allows you to be less anxious and overwhelmed by your surroundings, and through that, become less reactive and less judgmental.

When you focus on the here and now, it supports you in every way that’s fundamental to your mindset, happiness, and quality of life.

Everyone is capable of some form of mindfulness, but when you practice it on a daily basis, it will be easier to receive its full benefits.

This technique is especially unique because it doesn’t ask you to change anything about yourself. It merely asks you to observe and be present with everything you’re doing. To put more thought into your behaviors. To move a little slower through your actions and be fully present in the here and now.

By doing so, your brain can actually change over time. The grey substance in your brains’ amygdala(the almond-sized area in your brain known for its fight or flight role) has been seen to shrink in individuals who practice more mindfulness over those who don’t.

It plays a pivotal role in stress reduction and gives your body and mind a surplus of other benefits such as:

• Decreases anxiety
• Decreased depression symptoms
• Decreased insomniac symptoms
• Improved symptoms of heart disease
• Improved quality of sleep
• Improved diabetic symptoms
• Decreased symptoms of chronic inflammatory conditions
• Improved mental clarity
• Improved emotional intelligence
• Enhanced memory
• Improved focus
• Less emotional reactivity
• Enhanced relationship satisfaction
• Enhanced information processing speed

The list goes on…

So how do you start this mindfulness journey?

Start with simple tasks.

• Breathwork can be a great first step in practicing mindfulness because you do it every moment you’re awake. Set aside 5 minutes of your day to practice conscious, mindful breathing. When you breathe in, think of it as positive energy filling up your lungs. Your core expands as the air hits your nose and travels down, giving you a full deep breath. When you breathe out, imagine the negativity that has built up inside you exiting your body. Exhale until you can’t possibly breathe out any further. With every breath, practice gratitude.
• When you wash the dishes, pay attention to how the water feels on your hands. Scrub away at the dishes until it gets sudsy, listen to the water trickling onto the other dishes below. How does it feel on your hands? As you rinse it off, look at how clean the dish is. Set it aside to dry and move onto your next one.
• When you walk around your apartment, move slower than usual, and feel your weight as you shift from one foot to the other. How does the carpet feel on your feet as you walk across it? Is the hardwood floor warm or cool?
• When you’re speaking to someone, put everything down, and shift your focus to them. Listen attentively to each word they use, their tone, and their body language. Do not look at the TV or your phone. Don’t think about how you need to do the laundry and then fold everything after this, or about that super important work email you need to send off tonight. Just listen and be present at that moment with your loved one.

It might feel hard or even painfully slow at first.

You should keep in mind that the more you practice, the easier it will feel.

The easier it feels, the more you will do it.

The more consistent you are in practicing it, the more benefits you’ll receive.

That’s where the magic of mindfulness lies.

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