We often think of mindfulness as a magical transformation. In reality it is a conscious never-ending journey. You don’t just get up one day and master it, you keep at it day in and day out. You recognise the moments when you need to pull your mind back to the present instead of letting it ramble in the past or future. And in this journey, you never come to a stop. The more you see and feel, the more there will be. Most of us are introduced to the concept of mindfulness through meditation. So we get down to meditating and almost always fail at it.?
Some of us, of course, get the hang of meditation and can truly understand the rhythms of it. The rest of us give up. While meditation is one way to achieve mindfulness, it is not the only way.?
After all, mindfulness is nothing but consciously pulling your mind to focus on the here and now. Whether you do it while meditating or not, it really does not matter. The idea is to control the movements of your thoughts and see the spectacle that the world truly is. Here are a few little ways to be mindful without meditating.?
How does your steering wheel feel under your skin while you drive to work? Does your colleague look happier than usual? What’s the feeling of your warm blanket wrapped around your body? These little details often lose their value in the bigger picture. Start your day exploring and observing the space around you.?
Make sure you get at least one meal or drink through the day where you get to savour it. Feel the textures, examine the colours, take in the smell. We often just end up gulping down our food to get to the next task. When you learn to pull yourself back and slow down once in a while, you also learn to be appreciative.
There is a water cruise boat in New Zealand that is known to take its tourists for a day long cruise. During the cruise, they make an announcement asking their passengers to all come to the deck and stay silent. They shut off the engine and for a few minutes, in the midst of mountains and the fjord, there is an absolute silence. Take five minutes, either early in the morning or late at night, to sit in silence and listen to it. The best thing this exercise does is teach you about the significance of the vast world that surrounds you each day.
It might not be possible everyday but try to take one slow, long bath in a week. If you have a bathtub, let yourself sit and soak the warm water. Massage your scalp slowly as you shampoo. Let your bath be relaxing instead of being a quick in and out experience for at least one day.
Remember how we used to figure out shapes in the sky as children? We were onto something then. Lie down on your back and let your eyes wander the magnificent sky. See what the clouds look like, what shapes can you decipher? What different shades of colours are on there? How do they inspire you?
It could range from cooking to cleaning your dishes or your car. You have to make sure, however, that you perform the activity steadily and as you do pay attention to the movements of your body, the sensations and the thoughts that come and go through your mind. Everytime you feel yourself drifting away, pull yourself back to the present.?
The digital world is too fast to allow you space to slow down. There is no way around it other than putting your phone away. It will also help you not get overly invested in having your phone in your hands constantly, an issue most of us suffer with.