mindful or mind-full?

Research shows that when we incorporate mindfulness into our daily activities, it can help improve the quality of our life. But what exactly is mindfulness and how do we practice it?
”Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way. On purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

In essence, therefore. mindfulness is a practice where we focus on whatever task we are doing at a particular moment. We give it our undivided attention, aware of our thoughts and emotions but not reacting to or judging them.

Mindfulness is neither trying to relax nor emptying the mind of its thoughts.  Instead, we learn to be an observer of our thoughts or emotions without the need to get involved with them. This helps us to be less reactive and make intimate contact with each moment of our lives, however trivial or mundane it might be.

When we stay present and aware as we do our day to day activities, it becomes an informal meditation practice. This can substantially help reduce the stress we accumulate throughout the day.

HOW

1. Set an intention Set an intention to become more mindful at the beginning of any activity that requires focus.
The intention can be a simple phrase like, “May my mind be steady”. Repeating the intention every few minutes can help us stay focused.

2. Focus The brain cannot be attentive unless it is fully awake. A few factors that can increase alertness are sitting tall, visualising, deep breathing and keeping the mind quiet. Neurologically, if we visualise a ray of light, this induces a surge of epinephrine throughout the brain, which fosters alertness. Taking several deep breaths can increase oxygen supply and revs up the brain.

3. Quiet When the mind is quiet, fewer things bubble up to distract it and it is easier to stay mindful. One way of achieving this quiet state is by becoming aware of the whole body. We start by bringing attention to the breath and observe the sensations at the nostrils, throat, chest and belly. Then our attention can be moved back to focusing on sensations in our whole body. This helps in quieting the mind. As the mind calms down, resting in awareness becomes much easier.