"Unlock your power to create real change in your life with mindful awareness and intentional presence."
I was exploring the concept of mindfulness and meditation when I found out something fascinating - that there are as many methods of mindfulness as there are people practicing it. Instead of a formal sitting or walking meditation, I learned that I could be mindful of any task, anytime. I found a simple breathing meditation to train my mind to stay focused and I practiced every day until I was able to get to a count of ten (which I teach you in this episode!). I realized that I didn't have to be hard on myself when my mind wandered and that I could simply smile, laugh, and start again. I learned to observe myself objectively, without judgment, and to find joy in activities despite having the fear of the pain of losing that joy. Human minds, am I right? The essence of this episode is to understand why we shouldn't be meditating (just yet) and why we should focus on mindfulness first.
"The act of mindfulness summarized is the skill of being able to get your mind to stay - think of it as like a dog. If you can get your dog to sit and stay, that's what you're trying to get your mind to do with meditation."
In this episode, you will learn the following:
1. What the power of mindfulness is and how can it be applied to everyday moments
2. How we can train our minds to stay still in the present moment
3. The relationship between joy and fear, and how our brain keeps us safe from both
If you enjoyed this episode be sure to leave a review and tell me so! It really helps the show grow (plus I’ll love you forever as one of my very first listeners). If you REALLY liked it, here’s where else you can connect with me:
To stay up to date = Instagram @stillnessmatters
For quick bits and entertainment = TikTok @stillnessmatters
To connect with me personally, ask questions, and hear more Stillness Matters content = Wisdom @stillnessmatters
(shocking handles, I know.)
Chapter Summaries:
[00:00:00]
There are as many methods of mindfulness as there are people practicing mindfulness. The act of mindfulness can be applied to any task, any moment in your day where you can bring your attention to be present. What stillness and mindfulness can do is to pull you out of that autopilot.
[00:06:11]
This meditation is a very good and basic tool to practice working out your mind. All you have to do is tune into your body and watch your breath. Every time you notice your mind has started to wander and you've gone along for the ride, laugh at yourself.
[00:15:51]
A lot of people have a hard time figuring out what it is that they actually enjoy nowadays. The best way to start incorporating that is to find something you actually enjoy doing and apply the concept of mindfulness to them. If you have any methods or thoughts on this, I would love to hear them.
