Mindfulness and Self Care Practices
“ Breathing in I calm my body, breathing out, I smile dwelling in the present moment, I know this is the only moment”. Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness is to be fully aware of the present moment, allowing for this awareness to dictate intentions and actions. Mindfulness is the energy of awareness bringing our mind back to our body.
A recent Harvard study found 45% of waking hours are spent thinking about things other then what you are doing at the moment (1). Most people are living in the past or future getting stuck in cyclic thinking patterns and actions based on what was and what could be- which in the HERE and NOW is simply not true. It’s like living in our own fantasy world where we subconsciously respond to external situations with knee jerk reactions based on past experiences or assumptions. Mindfulness is slowing down, breathing, connecting to here and now allowing you to feel empowered and respond with intention.
So, how can mindfulness be integrated into our day with often hectic schedules?!
The first step to cultivating self-awareness is to find a mindfulness practice that works best for you, to recharge and replenish your mind, body and soul. Mindfulness practices offer tools to anchor yourself in the present and increase your self-awareness to improve your health and happiness.
Here are some different ways you can add mindfulness into your daily activities:
Mindful Breath Work
“Breathe in aware of where you are, breathe out anything that you need to release to be here NOW”.
This is the one of the fastest ways to stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system to reduce heart rate and blood pressure. There are many ways to do mindful breathing.
Finding a pattern either in through the nose, out the mouth or nose helps get a rhythm going to allow your focus to be on the breath. Counting in for a specific number of inhales and exhales can bring you back to your body and sensory awareness of what is going on now. Square breathing for example is inhale for a count of 4, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4, repeat.
Mantras or affirmations of your choosing along with the breath such as “ I am calm or I am safe”. This is extremely helpful with anxiety attacks or setting your focus on a specific outcome.
Mindful Eating
The awareness of our body transforming food to energy.
Eat slower
Chewing slowly allows you to notice, taste and smell the food you are eating. Not only does this give you a full-on sensory experience, it allows your digestive system to process the food at the rate it is designed to do. It also reduces cortisol, that pesky stress hormone, and allow the parasympathetic nervous system to kick in allowing you to “rest and digest” with ease.
Acknowledge your food without judgement
How many people here go for the chocolate or fries when they are stressed, then feel super guilty afterward? This choice in food or what time of day we eat is usually driven by emotions or a particular experience. Being mindful is slowing down and being aware of why or when you are choosing to eat, allowing you to make the choice with no guilt to follow.
Mindful Walking
“Walk in such a way, we know we are walking”. Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindfulness Walking can happen in your living room or best in nature.
Harmonizing your breath and taking in all your surroundings as you walk slowly can be extremely meditative, as well as peaceful.
Sitting Meditation
Allowing stillness to bring peace and harmony.
Relaxing and focusing on breath allowing thoughts to pass even just 3 minutes a day can bring you to the present moment with all the health benies.
There are multiple other practices that incorporate mindfulness such as yoga, specifically yoga nidra, reiki, tai chi, qui gong, journaling and gratitude practices.
You can literally incorporate mindfulness with any daily task or whatever you are doing now such as dishes, laundry, driving, work, etc.
How does mindfulness impact overall health, you might ask?
With heart disease as the #1 leading cause of death in the United States (2), mindfulness practices can lower stress and reduce blood pressure and literally be a life saver.
Mindfulness can also improve cognition, reduce anxiety, depression, fatigue, and addictions.
Mindfulness also has a huge impact and improves our relationships. Empathy, compassion and active listening are just some of the positive benefits of being mindful that allow you to react intentionally in any encounter with yourself and others.
Body Scan Exercise
Close your eyes and pay attention to any emotions you are feeling now. Are they a reflection or caused by any physical symptom or state of your body?
Pay attention to your shoulders, neck, and jaw, are they clenched or tight? Can you mindfully acknowledge where you are holding tension and relax these parts of your body?
As you relax and breathe, try to slow down and consider what may be causing stress, anxiety or tension. Notice any reoccurring thoughts or past events you are holding on to, brining awareness of your findings with compassion.
Scan your body with awareness, starting at your toes, up to your legs, abdomen, chest, arms, face. Taking inventory of any tension, emotion or thought…… breathe into it and acknowledge anything that may have come up.
If you notice your mind wandering come back to your breath, this always brings you back to your body and the present moment.
How do you feel?
Empowered, calm, peace, joy, clarity?
If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness, you can check out my spiritual resources under my shop page here.
Any of Thich Nhat Hanh’s work is based off his spiritual practice of mindfulness, here is one of my favorites.*
*Disclosure: These are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an small commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. Thank you for supporting my business!
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