What is mindfulness?
While there are many different definitions of mindfulness, I like to think of it as 'full-presence living'.
We think all the time, but are we observing our thoughts?
We eat every day, but are we truly tasting our food?
We walk often, but do we ever notice the sensation of our feet tapping the earth?
When we are being mindful, we are deeply present in an activity, a meal, a conversation, our inner thoughts. I think one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves, and our children and partner is PRESENCE. To really listen, see them, to hear their feelings beneath the words or facial expressions.
And yet, we live in a world that glorifies 'the hustle' and where we rush, and are distracted near constantly by screens and advertising. Thus, we need to practice mindfulness to bring us back into the 'now' and full awareness of our experience.
This 18-page beginner's guide to mindfulness introduces you to five simple yet powerful mindfulness practices and how to incorporate them into your day.
I suggest that you choose to do one mindfulness exercise per day, every day over the course of a week. To stay on track, this guide includes a weekly calendar that you might like to print off and laminate to rewrite over as you try each new exercise.