“The body benefits from movement, and the mind benefits from stillness” Sakyong Mipham
I have started trying to practice more Mindfulness and like to stop and take a few minutes when I’m out for my walks. “According to scientists, on average our mind is wandering almost half of our waking hours. We are constantly thinking about events that happened in the past, or might happen in the future, rather than attending to what’s happening now”. “One Second Ahead – Enhance your performance at work with mindfulness” Rasmus Hougaard.
We are constantly on the go, Mindfulness is about taking some time out to observe our thinking, emotions and behaviours. People who are “too busy” to practice Mindfulness are more than likely the ones who would benefit most from it. Taking time to pause, helps us become more aware of what drives our behaviours and how we manage stress. Research has shown that this makes us more effective, creative and less stressed.
You don’t have to go into a deep state of meditation to practice Mindfulness, it can be as simple as being present and in the moment, having awareness of your surroundings, your thoughts and your emotions. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by amazing views on my walks but you can be mindful anywhere – even doing the ironing!!
A mindfulness exercise I particularly like due to its simplicity and ease to use anytime, anywhere is the “Take 3 exercise”: Notice 3 things you see, 3 things you hear, 3 things you feel, then 2 things you see, 2 things you feel, 2 things you feel and finally, 1 thing you see, 1 thing you hear and 1 thing you feel. I love pausing and taking time to do this exercise at different times during the day.