Mindfulness is the latest meditative practice. Here's why it matters
What's the story
Mindfulness is the latest concept in the practice of meditation. It is a kind of meditation but differs slightly from the popular practice. While meditation needs you to take a chunk of time out from your daily schedule, mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and anytime. It has become so popular that there are exclusive mobile apps aiming to help people dive into it better.
Meaning
What exactly is mindfulness?
Simply put, mindfulness is a state of being mindful about your surroundings. It leads you to pause and think about everything you are about to do. As per the Cambridge dictionary, it is the art of being aware of your mind, body, and thoughts in the present moment. The purpose of mindfulness is to help us react to situations in a better way.
Benefits
What are the benefits of practicing mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a self-regulation practice that asks you to be more aware. Here are a few benefits of practicing mindfulness. -It improves psychological and overall well-being. -It helps eliminate stress, reduces blood pressure, and improves sleep quality. -It improves focus and self-esteem. -Studies have shown that it can help people become less reactive. -It can also help resolve relationship issues in a better way.
Practice
Here's how to practice mindfulness
Our daily life activities provide countless chances to practice mindfulness and it can be done at any moment. Here's how. Set a motive: Just after you wake up, sit up and close your eyes. Connect with your senses and take 3-4 long breaths. Now ask yourself about the purpose of the day. Every time you do something during the day, think about it.
Other ways
Be mindful of what you eat
During meals: Calmly breathe before you begin to eat and question the hunger level inside you. Listen to your body and begin eating as per your hunger levels. Give enough time for digestion before you begin with your next meal. During workouts: Scan through your body mentally and ask yourself which areas need workout today. Focus only on them and do not overexert.
Other ways
Other ways to practice mindfulness
-Sit silently in a peaceful place. It could be a room or a park and notice what you feel, the sounds, and the smells around you. -Ditch multitasking. Take one thing at a time and acknowledge your task. -Listen to others carefully without being caught up in your own thoughts. -Introduce short meditation minutes. Practice deep breathing in between or during tasks.