Most of us live mindlessly. This is a natural adaptation to the demands of our daily lives. We are distracted from the moment we get up til the moment we go to bed. Our minds are always whirling with deadlines, errands, people, and thoughts we have about it all. Additionally, we are almost always multitasking. We have our music on while driving, checking our emails while on the phone, cooking while trying to clean up and have a conversation. Our attention is rarely focused on just one thing at a time, which makes it impossible to be fully immersed in all of the things we are doing. Mindfulness is slowing down some of what we are doing and focusing on one thing at a time. While it is very difficult to be fully present every waking moment, we can work to cultivate some more mindfulness in some small moments of our day. With practice, these small moments of mindfulness can carry over into the rest of our lives, and help us to be more present in our days.
Tell me about your mindfulness practice . . .
O - observation
F - feeling/emotions
N - need
R - request
S - stop/pause
T - thoughts
O - observe sensations/physical
P - proceed with awareness
H - are you Hungry
A - are you Angry
L - are you Lonely
T - are you Tired
Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish
The Mindfulness Solution : Everyday Practices for Everyday Problems
