Because I’d tell my 23-year-old self to stop thinking so much and get into the moment, I’d ask her to pay attention to what she sees and how she feels and to listen, smell, and taste intentionally.
 

MINDFULNESS AS I’VE COME TO UNDERSTAND IT: 

There are many ways to practice mindfulness, but practicing in all different moods and circumstances is the real game changer. There are days when I try to convince myself I don’t have time to practice or don’t feel good enough to practice, but when I observe instead of believe those thoughts, I gain clarity: That’s just my resistance talking. 

Practicing mindfulness in bite-size portions throughout the day is, in my observation, what strengthens our ability to handle the moment-to-moment stressors of life. It keeps us agile and adaptive. It also helps us identify when we’ve been going too hard and need to slow down before our body shuts us down with a cold etc.

We also have to move. We need to get into our bodies and experience what we’ve been reading for ourselves. So, let this month’s practice be an invitation to come back to your body through your senses: sights, sounds, smells, sensations, or tastes. 
 

QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOUR PRACTICE:

What did you hear when you listened mindfully?
What did you see?
What did you smell?
What sensations did you notice in your body? Where?
What observations did you make? Did you notice anything you didn’t expect?

💭 A COUPLE OF THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND 💭

When you practice being mindful of your senses, focus on describing your experiences and not the analytics: Notice judgments without engaging with them. You’re just observing what shows up when you decide to practice (hint: right now’s a good time!).

Make distinctions between describing when you’re experiencing your life and not judging, evaluating, or comparing it to other experiences. Most importantly, be curious about the sights, sounds, and smells you’re experiencing. You don’t need to do much to practice. Detailed explanations aren’t necessary either. Focus your energy on your anchor (whichever sense you opt to pay attention to), observe the anchor, and when your mind wanders away to a judgment, a random thought, etc., inquire and accept what you’re sensing. 

 

WHY THIS PRACTICE?

When you step into your experience and are mindful of the moment daily, you begin to notice distinctions between levels of awareness. 

Mindfulness, in this case, being with the senses, allows you to look at things in the present and doesn’t bring forward any memories of the past or plans for the future. Instead, you are experiencing and, therefore, can provide a description instead of a narrative explanation.

You might hear this type of mindfulness described as a non-conceptual awareness. This gives you a more intimate understanding of your experience before and after constructions, observations, and even sensations. Looking at things in a new light can be a freeing experience that lets you rid yourself of the habits and things you want to unlearn.

With the ability to re-direct your thoughts, imagine the possibilities you open up! There are so many ways to make a difference in your life.
 

MINDFULNESS & POSSIBILITIES 

What if you are someone who is trying to lose weight? Think about what would happen if you looked at food differently because of your new thoughts about food.

Your mind will eventually integrate the new thoughts by replacing the old ones. You are training your brain to tell the difference between awareness dissociations and differentiated components of mental experience. By creating this integrated state, you can see yourself moving in a positive direction with your well-being.

When you use mindfulness to experience the sights, sounds and smells around you in micro-mindful moments throughout the day, you are altering your relationship with the self and your own mind. You are creating a new “information flow” in the course of daily life. And that? That’s a beautiful thing!

Where in your day will you integrate this practice today?