In this busy world, our minds are constantly being pulled from pillar to post, cluttering our emotions and thoughts and leaving us feeling anxious, tired, and depressed. Since many of us don’t have five minutes to take in order to sit down, breathe and relax, the idea of setting aside thirty minutes or more for a meditation session might seem impossible. But, taking steps to become more mindful can be essential for improving our mental wellbeing and taking a few quiet minutes each day will help to cultivate mental spaciousness and achieve a positive balance between the body and the mind. These simple mindfulness techniques can help to empty your mind and find some peace and calm amidst the hectic noise of everyday life.
#1. Mindful Breathing
Mindful breathing is a very simple, effective technique which can be done almost anywhere at any time. It can help you to regain control during periods of high stress and anxiety and can even be used to get on top of a panic or anxiety attack. Begin by breathing in and out slowly; in through your nose and out through your mouth, letting the breath flow in and out of your body effortlessly. Key to mindful breathing is letting your thoughts go for the time being and simply allowing yourself to be and relax whilst you concentrate on your breaths. You can use an energy healing therapy tool such as Clear to help free your mind of unnecessary ‘noise’ interfering with your energy pathways.
#2. Mindful Observation
Mindful observation is an easy-to-learn yet very powerful technique that is designed to connect us with the beauty of the natural environment, ourselves, and everything else around us. Whilst we are rushing around during our everyday routines, it can be very easy to overlook the simple and beautiful things around us. Choose a natural object, such as a flower, the clouds, the moon, or an animal to look at for a while and focus on. During the observation, it’s important to do nothing except for simply notice the object that you are looking at and appreciate it.
#3. Mindful Listening
So much of what we see and hear on a daily basis is influenced by our past experiences, therefore, mindful listening can be a great technique to help train us to open our ears in a non-judgemental manner. When we listen mindfully, whether this is simply listening to music or listening to the things that others have to say, we can achieve a neutral, present awareness which helps us to hear and take in sound without preconception. One great way to practice mindful listening is to choose a piece of music which you have never heard before, perhaps a genre you wouldn’t usually choose. The idea is to just listen, without giving into preconceptions about the artist, genre, lyrics or other features of the music. Once you have mastered this, it will become easier to apply mindful listening to your social life.
Mindfulness is a technique which can help us to become more at one with ourselves and the world around us.
