Living Mindfully

Living mindfully - in the present, with awareness - can be cultivated in a quiet moment, and also in a loud moment. It can happen during all sorts of activities and seasons. Using the senses to become aware of sights, smells, sounds, and other parts of our surroundings is one way to bring the mind to the present. Observing one’s breath, one’s physical and mental state or one’s thoughts without judgement, is another way to bring the mind to the present moment.

Some opposite states of mind that take us out of the present moment include when the mind is racing, wandering and daydreaming, living in the past or the future or elsewhere, escaping from the present moment and surroundings. It is human and natural for the mind to wander, and daydreaming has a lot of benefits! If the mind wanders or races too much though, it can lead to diminished returns and negatively affect quality of life. The practice of shepherding the mind back to the present moment or object of meditation can help with cultivating inner peace and focus.

During activities where it’s common for my mind to wander, like doing the dishes or driving or gardening, I make it a game to see if I can become aware and bring my mind back to the present moment. I often use my senses to do this, either observing my surroundings or doing a body scan of all my muscles and joints and seeing if anything is tense and what I can relax. Sometimes when my awareness comes back to the present, I’ll realize I’ve been holding my breath! At that point I try to spend a little time focusing on taking steady breaths until I feel more balanced.

There are many tools and resources out there these days for living more in the present, and many benefits from consistently doing it. It helps with feeling more grounded and in control, finding aspects of life to be thankful for, feelings of contentment and being connected.