Waking up to right now: An introduction to mindfulness

I hear birds singing outside the window. A man nearby clears his throat and scratches his head. I can smell the sweet and subtle aroma of old paper. Even the tap of the keys on my keyboard are here in my awareness. This moment… NOW… This is presence.

The present moment is all around you. It never leaves you. Rather the opposite can happen; you can leave the present moment. This happens all day long! Life distracts and pulls you away. With phones and watches beeping at you, responsibilities nagging at you, kids literally pulling at your sleeves… It’s a wonder you keep your head above water!

To achieve and “succeed” in today’s busy world, something has to give. The something we sacrifice is the ability to simply sit and BE. If you have ever found it challenging to sit for 10 minutes without checking your phone, you are NOT alone. Leading a busy life isn’t a bad thing. It’s a normal thing! But anyone who has ever felt stressed by that business, understands the importance of balancing it out.

Read on to discover what mindfulness means and how practicing it can help balance and transform your life!

Mindfulness defined:

The simplest definition of mindfulness is paying attention - in the present moment - without judgement.

Examples of being mindful:

Taking a deep breath and noticing how far your lungs expand.

Seeing a car merging into your lane with no signal and responding by slowing your vehicle to let the car in.

Watching an ant crawling across your picnic table and fully tuning into his journey - leaving your other thoughts behind.

Examples of mindlessness:

Wondering why you have a headache when you have forgotten to drink water all day.

Thinking you have lost your keys (when they are actually in your hand).

Rear-ending that car that was trying to merge because your mind was someplace else.

Mindfulness is not a goal, it is not something to be sought after. It is available to you at any moment - simply by slowing down, breathing and turning your attention to the NOW.

Our brains love to analyze, judge, label and over-think even the smallest of stimuli. For example, you hear the screech of brakes from somewhere on an adjacent road. The sound stimulus is translated by your brain into a deluge of thoughts.

“Oh no an accident!” “I hope I don’t get into an accident” “There was that one time I rear-ended someone…” “That driver must not have been very mindful!”

We analyze. We judge. And we miss out on what is right in front of us.

A mindful approach to this stimulus would be to simply notice it “I hear the sound of brakes”, and then to continue noticing the next stimulus. “I hear the sound of the refrigerator humming. I feel my breath filling my lungs. I see my glass of water in front of me.”

Mindfulness has to do with exploring and engaging your senses. We all experience the same world, what makes our experiences unique is how we attach greater personal meaning to them. Perception does not equal reality!

Practicing mindfulness is a continuous returning to the present. You WILL get distracted. You WILL feel your mind wander. You’ve likely been living in your head for some time. Tuning into the present won’t feel natural right away. The great news is that the present moment is ALWAYS there waiting for you to come back.

Benefits of Mindfulness:

So what can you hope to gain from honing your mindful muscles? Here are some very real benefits that come along with your new present awareness practice.

Stress Reduction:

As a two-time participant in the 8 week program of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction: MBSR (this program is offered locally at Mindful Ways to Wellness in St. Petersburg.) I can speak to the personal change in stress-level that I achieved over those weeks. By learning awareness and practicing mindfulness and meditation: I was able to climb out of a pretty severe depression - induced by many life-stressors that I wasn’t fully addressing.

We have all heard of the dangers of prolonged stress. But many don’t know what to do about it. Here is something you can do RIGHT NOW. Sit down on the floor or in a chair. Close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Here you are. You are already present. You are already here.

When you practice mindfulness you will likely experience:

Lowered anxiety levels;
Experience of being calm and internally still;
Experience of feeling connected.

Better Health

Lowering your stress can do wonders for your health, both physically and mentally. Can mindfulness change your life? Make you eat healthy? Encourage you to exercise and take care of yourself? Absolutely!

One of the side-effects of practicing mindfulness is that you get really clear on what is and isn’t working for you. For example: The french fries you used to mindlessly munch without really tasting now become something that you savor but then put aside once satisfied. The choice between staying out late drinking, and taking a bubble bath at home with a good book - becomes more obvious. You are a precious being! You are worth taking care of. The more you realize that - the better you will feel.

By practicing stillness and presence you will likely experience:

Increased immune function;
Lowered blood pressure;
Lowered heart rate;

Improved Focus

If you have ever had trouble with concentration at work, struggled to follow a conversation, achieved lower results on a task than you hoped - you’re not alone. We live in a fast-paced, stimulus driven, success-focused, distracted time. The idea of sitting for 20 minutes, watching birds hopping around in a tree is as far removed to many of us as walking on the moon.

Focus and attention are skills that can absolutely be improved. Noticing what is available to your senses - without judgement has the following effects:

Higher brain functioning;
Increased awareness;
Increased attention and focus;
Increased clarity in thinking and perception;

Putting it into practice:

There are countless ways to introduce mindfulness into your life. The way that will work best for you is entirely individual. Your best bet is to pick a practice that fits you in a way that doesn’t feel like work. When building any new habit the goal is to simply repeat the behavior each day for about 30 days. Therefore, you shouldn’t commit to a one hour seated meditation if you have never meditated before. Setting a goal that is too hard or impractical for you is setting yourself up to fail.

Start small. Start practical. Start building your mindfulness muscles.

Here are a few great beginner mindfulness practices:

5 Senses practice: Do this anytime! Ask yourself these questions: What do I see? What do I hear? What do I smell? What do I taste? What are my hands coming in contact with? Remember not to judge what you are sensing. Just notice it.
Breath Awareness: Simply notice the sensation of your breath as it enters your nostrils. Where do you feel the breath in your body? Notice the rise and fall of your chest. Try setting a timer for one minute. Commit to doing nothing but noticing your breath for that minute. If your mind wanders away from your breath that’s fine. Gently return your attention each time to your breath.
Mindful Eating: The next time you eat a piece of fruit (or any other food) tune into your senses. The experience of eating an orange holds a multitude of sensations. What does the food smell, taste, sound and feel like?
Water Awareness: Use contact with water as a reminder to come into the present. The next time you experience water (washing your hands, doing the dishes, drinking, watering the plants) take a few moments to experience the water as you never have before. Turn your entire attention to the water before you.
Take a class: Classes and guided meditations are a great way to externally motivate you to practice. Groups and communities help to hold each other accountable.
Meditation classes and guided breathing are offered at The Collective in St. Petersburg.

Come back to the LOOM often for more mindful activities. We will take you step by step through exercises and practices to enhance your awareness of the HERE and NOW.

Cultivate mindfulness slowly and surely and open up to the great wonders that are available to you.

Written by Maeby Lopez, LMHC: Professional Organizer and Wellness Advocate