Mindfulness and meditation practices have become increasingly mainstream. People are actively seeking ways to incorporate these practices into their daily life.

I first discovered meditation when I was in college. Due to my Exercise Science and Fitness Management degree, I was able to take a class.

At the time, I was quite energetic and spent little time calming my mind. However, I was surprised to find the stress, anxiety and chaos, left me as a sense of ease entered my body.

I will be honest and say, I did not keep up the practice after this class. However, over the past few years, I have spent more time on meditation.

Like you, I’ve had painful experiences in my life. Some were by my own behavior and some out of my control. However, studying mindfulness, I discovered my reactions to the experiences in day to day life, is where I need to focus.

Have you experienced anger, anxiety, negative self-talk, frustration, pain recently?

Do you believe your emotions may not be working in your favor?

Are you obsessing over the past and worry about the future?

I have screamed at my children, and yes, I cussed at them to get their homework done.

Anxiety has overcome me so much about my work responsibilities that I could hardly breathe.

I spoke negatively about my body when I had to jump and pull up on my jeans to get them on.

I am telling you, this is not good!

If you have done similar things, it is time to discover mindfulness.

It is time to become aware of your thoughts and emotions.

Learn to hit the pause button, calm yourself and handle stressful situations with confidence.

Now, I am not mindful in every moment.

I worry.

I get angry.

I find myself in negative thoughts about myself.

But, today, I am more aware of my experiences. I am aware of my thoughts, feelings and emotions and choose not to become a slave to them.

I discovered Matthew Sockolov’s book, “Practicing Mindfulness.” It is quite an amazing, insightful read!

In the book, he notes, you need to understand what you are doing in mindfulness, why you are practicing mindfulness, and how to actually practice mindfulness.

So what is mindfulness?

You will notice mindfulness and meditation are used interchangeably.

Meditation described by Sockolov as, “anytime you are putting dedicated effort forth to be mindful. This may be sitting practice or while you are washing dishes….mindfulness is practiced not just on a meditation cushion; you can introduce mindfulness into any daily activity.”

Why should this be important in your life?

There is a lot of research showing the benefits of mindfulness in relation to your health, relationships and work-life.

Let’s dive into the 7 benefits of mindfulness discussed in “Practicing Mindfulness.”

Stress Reduction: Research shows that mindfulness relieves stress and anxiety.

Improve Memory and Focus: University of California, Santa Barbara found that practicing mindfulness allowed people to be focused and reported less mind wandering.

Physical Benefits: Regular meditation can improve digestion, lower blood pressure, enhance healing, decrease inflammation, and strengthen the immune system.

Better Sleep: Harvard Health research shows meditation can help with falling asleep and staying asleep.

Creative Problem Solving: Calming your mind and creating stillness cultivates creativity. You can gain perspective, think in new ways, and create a solution.

Fewer Feelings Of Loneliness: A study from University of California showed those who practiced mindfulness experienced less loneliness.

Improved Self-Esteem: Mindfulness can improve your sense of self-worth and contentment for who you are.

Mood Regulation: Meditation is a way to regulate mood, periods of depression and anxiety.

All of us would like to achieve better results in our lives. We would like to have more power over our thoughts, feelings and actions.

A mindful practice is simply “being in the present moment.” Just simply being present in what is happening here and now is the beginning of this practice.

If you bring attention to the negative thought, the emotion you are feeling, a problem you are solving at work, or issue you are having in your home, you are beginning the mindful practice.

Many times, we enter a stressful moment with judgement, anger, anxiety, and fear, then we react. Most of the time the reaction is negative.

Wouldn’t it be a beneficial practice to cultivate healthy behaviors, attitudes and skills that are reflective of the clarity and wisdom you gain from mindfulness?
YES!

Join me in making mindfulness a daily practice in your life.

Share which benefit you hope to experience by a mindful practice.

Thanks for sharing with this amazing tribal community.

Cheers!

Melissa