The Art of Mindfullness

I talk with a lot of people about the health of your mind. I truly believe that this can have the power to change your life, for the good! I don't know about you but I have days where I am just in a rut and I things just never go right. I often wonder if it was the circumstances that make it bad or was it my thinking?

That is up for interpretation. See we always have bad things happen to us. No one is immune to that. But what we do have control over is our mindset and how we react to those circumstances. I do believe, however, that some circumstances contribute to our thinking but by ruminating over those events causes even more problems with our minds and the outlook on our lives. The long list of bad things that occur would be enough to put anyone in an asylum.

But what makes the most fulfilled and joy filled person the way they are? Is it genetics? Is it a problem free life? I think both of those are wrong. The answer lies in the thoughts and core beliefs we believe about ourselves. See, what I believe in most strongly is a healthy mind and soul. When we create discord in our minds due to circumstances and our past then we get froze to move into a future that inspires freedom. We must slowly rewire those false beliefs that are at our core to be able to move ahead to be fulfilled. 

I know I have been in the cycle of false beliefs about myself a time or two. It is not a fun place to be. Why there is those false beliefs takes a little time to uncover but there is something that we can do to help become more aware of those thoughts. It is called mindfullness. It is a lot like meditation except you try to focus on where you are at in the present moment. 

So to start this out you want to be in a somewhat quiet place. Quiet works best so you can focus without distractions. Sit in a comfortable spot. Could be a chair or couch. Whatever works for you. Close your eyes or gaze at something that would not be distracting such as a single color wall. You want to focus on the rhythm of your breathing. The up and down of your breath. This will be a focus point if you get distracted. Next focus on how your body feels. Any pain that you sense or no pain. How the chair feels beneath you, or tight or sore muscles. Notice how it feels, not to bring attention to the pain but just to bring awareness to where you at in the moment. Continue to breath and bring the focus back to the breath. 

Focus on your breath for another 2 minutes and then you are done! This is a simple exercise to do to unwind the busyness of the mind when it comes to stress and anxiety. There are more in depth ways to do this but I suggest starting out slowly to develop a habit of it. Over time and with practice you will notice that you are calmer and more in the present instead of worrying about the past or future. 

I myself really try to focus on scripture in the Bible while doing this. Filling your mind with TRUTH and not the lies we all believe is essential to having a healthier mind and life!