“What does it mean to be mindful?”

“I don’t know for sure.  Maybe that means we are paying attention to what we are doing.”

Ω

How “mindful” are you?  What is mindfulness?  How do I become more “mindful?”

These are all good questions.  Let’s begin with the concept of “mindfulness.”  Think about a time, possibly when you were driving to work, or taking a  shower when you could not remember the moment beforehand.  Have you ever taken a shower and forgotten whether or not you washed your hair, or soaped your body?  That is an example of “being somewhere else” rather than “here.”

How about driving to work, and not remembering anything about the last few blocks or miles?  That is an example of being elsewhere.  That is the antithesis of “mindfulness.”

When we are mindful, we are present in the current moment.  That means as we dispense the shampoo from the bottle and apply it to our hair, we are feeling the shampoo bubbles.  We are smelling the scent of the shampoo.  We feel our hair and our scalp as we massage it with our fingers.  We feel the temperature of the water as it covers the body and refreshes and washes it.  We are totally present.

How does one accomplish mindfulness?   Well, it all begins with a quiet mind.  Remember back to the example where you were not present.  Why do you suppose you weren’t present?  Typically, it is because your mind was elsewhere.  The “mind” is the core of “mindfulness.”  Unlike having a “full mind” think of mindfulness as having an “empty mind.”  That means you are not thinking about anything other than the shampoo being applied to your hair, or the drive to work.

When we quiet our mind, we allow ourselves to be present.  As a test, think about a place that you often go.   Maybe it’s a restaurant, your work place, or even your own home.  Now, think about what color is the ceiling, the walls, and the floor.  Is the floor tile, wood or something else?  If it’s a restaurant, what color are the tables and chairs?  Do they use paper or linen napkins?

Yes, these might be details that you feel are unnecessary, and that may well be the case.  However, it might be an indication as to how mindful you are of your surroundings.  If you are not aware of these kinds of details, what else is it you are not “seeing?”  Maybe the squirrel outside your window, or the eagle soaring high above the freeway.  When we begin to open our eyes and ears, and quiet our minds, we can ironically have “mindfulness.”

InspiraCard

Bring the world and your surroundings into your life, by quieting your mind to make room for it all.  Find a time when you can do the thinking that needs to be processed so that you can mindfully have a life of peace and calm!

Written Tue, Jul 14, 2015 8:08 – 8:19 AM MDT