Tips for practicing Mindfulness

31 May Tips for practicing Mindfulness

Practice sensing where you are each hour in the day for a few minutes, stop and feel your body where it is. Pay attention to sensations in your body and focus on the movement that you are involved in.  Practice some gentle stretches, or place your left hand on heart right hand on tummy over navel, breathe deeply and offer love to yourself.

Practice hearing and sensing  your environment – switch your brain off for only a minute or two and listen to your surroundings .

1) Sight

Glance around the room, now relax visually into one item of beauty.

 Notice its texture colours, length, blending of light and depth, dimensions, edges, shape. Close your eyes and describe it.

2) Hearing

Without straining, breathe gently and allow your ears to sense five sounds /noises either in the distance or close & subtle .

Notice its tone, music, rhythm, ringing, buzzing, sharp, loud, whirring, soft, gentle, flowing, water, splashing, dripping, insects, frogs, birds, trees blowing in the breeze. Open your eyes and describe it .

3) Feeling

Feel your skin , breathe gently, Notice the temperature in the air cool/warm, close your eyes and notice any sunlight on your skin, moisture level in the air (dry/crisp/ humid). Sense your bottom in the chair, feel gravity gently holding you, feel your back being caressed and comfortable, breathe into your spine. Feel the hairs on your arms and legs, the skin on your fingers and toes wriggle them, feel the fabric of the surface where you sit, sense any breeze, feel your clothing drape over your skin, restricting, hanging, feel your belts, earrings, jewellery on your body. With each breathe sink deeper into the chair and relax your muscles.

4) Taste

Drink a glass of water, suck on some ice, or eat a ball of chocolate or a piece of soft fruit. Without chewing let the sensations flow around your taste buds Notice the taste, feelings on your tongue, cheeks, roof of mouth, lips. Swallow the food when you are ready, savour the taste that is left. Feel the saliva in your mouth tongue on teeth feel each tooth, back teeth, inner and outer, top teeth bottom teeth. Sit the tongue on the roof of the mouth breath gently.

When we engage our senses fully, we are brought into the present moment. It is there we can release past, future, thoughts and just be.

If you are overwhelmed with painful sensations visualise positive past scenarios or imaginative positive situations of great joy such as a holiday experience, wedding day, birth of child, graduation. Feel the feelings that go with it and to oscillate between the in pleasant and positive. Stop when you are ready.

Daily

Eat at least one meal a day tasting and chewing slowly, without distraction, conversation, phones, or T.V .

Choose 5 visual things in your day to observe mindfully.

Surround yourself with essential oils and pleasant fragrance, sleep with lavender and chamomile vaporising, place essential oils in your car /handbag pocket /facemask.

Use your guided meditation you tube Jason Stephenson every night prior to sleep.

If you awaken during the night use your mindfulness to come back into your body.

Drink warm milk or chamomile tea ,refrain from caffeine in the evening.

If there a racing thoughts and ideas write them down, then try again to sleep.

Do not use mobiles, computers or watch T.V within an hour of sleeping – listen to relaxing music or read instead.