5 Easy Steps to Mindfulness
Mindfulness as a term and practice is very popular in the Western world. The roots of it come from Eastern philosophy & Yoga. Thich Nhat Hanh was one of the first to propagate it through his famous book — The Miracle of Mindfulness. Yoga is all about the mind, slowing it and living in the present moment. Do you find yourself busy with activities that are done in anger or impatience?
The irony of mindfulness is its ease. So, what are the practices?
1. Breathing (Pranayama) — To master our breath is to control our body and mind. When worried or upset, return to rhythmic breathing which helps reconcile the body and mind back to one place to tackle the situation better.
2. Self-Watching — You should not worry when your mind is racing with negativity. A technique used is say to yourself what is happening (A feeling of sadness is arising in me). So, behave like a palace guard announcing what is happening. This announcement could be used for any event (I am in a meeting, I am walking my dog) which allows your mind to stay in that place rather than an abstract future.
3. Half Smile — Half smile through the day, in your free moments, when irritated, when listening to music. This technique auto reminds you to stay in the present and not get lost in thoughts.
4. Devote a day — (or half a day to start with) to mindfulness. Take time to clean the home or bathe or have tea. Don’t rush in that dedicated time. Do everything slowly, deliberately.
5. Meditate — a tough technique is to meditate on something you fear about. Say death. It allows you to overcome fears and start to live. Developing compassion for someone you hate is another.
The first step to being mindful and meditation is to encounter reality, to lift the veil. So the first steps always surface a lot of pain. It is like froth bubbling up which needs to be cleaned. So, what is the connection to all of this & peace? Simply put it leads us to understand the roots of our suffering which turns to compassion for self & others. This lessens the likelihood of anger.
Nhat Hanh has written over 75 books and some of them are worth reading. He is said to have inspired Martin Luther King to start his movement for equality.
@seenaveennarayanan
