Practicing Mindful Breathing!
Are you living in the moment? Or are you living relentlessly in the future? Are you always picturing how things will play out, dreaming of something better around the corner, or worrying about what tomorrow will bring? Many of us have been raised with the idea that it’s sensible to keep one eye on the future, but when does forward-thinking become scattered thinking?
What’s your goal in life? Maybe it’s to achieve the job of your dreams, start a family, or travel the world. Perhaps it’s a combination of all three. But for many of us, happiness is a goal in itself. This can be achieved by achieving a higher consciousness once you become fully accepting of everything and grateful. Once you're conscious, you will be happy with yourself forever as consciousness is infinity.
The term mindfulness means ensuring your consciousness is focused on the present moment at any given time, instead of looking to the future or dwelling on the past. Although many of us seek to be mindful as we go about our daily lives, distractions inevitably come thick and fast. Instead of being free to focus on the simple satisfaction of washing dishes, we’re often bombarded with a constant stream of personal projects, social media notifications, family matters, and work commitments. So in this hectic world, how can we engage in a state of mindfulness and simply live in the moment?
Astonishingly, the way in which we breathe can really help with this goal.
When we fail to keep our minds on the present moment, our thoughts disperse and scatter, leaving us unable to concentrate or appreciate life. Luckily, breathing is an effective, natural tool with which we can stop dispersion in its tracks. Think of your breath as a bridge, connecting your consciousness to the present and uniting your scattered thoughts with your body again. When you find your thoughts dispersing, take hold of your mind by lightly breathing in with a long, deep breath. As you do so, stay conscious of how you’re breathing and how you’re feeling. After this long inhalation, take your time and exhale all of your lungs’ breath.
Your stomach will also play a role when you breathe mindfully. As your lungs fill up with air, your stomach will begin to rise. As you begin inhaling, your stomach will start pushing itself out, and only when your lungs are about two-thirds full of breath will the stomach begin to fall again. This movement only happens when we start breathing in a conscious, mindful manner.
For mindfulness beginners, you should practice lying down while conscious breathing. It’s also important to avoid overexerting yourself in your early attempts. Remember, your lungs may well be weak from a lifetime of breathing in a non-mindful way. So don’t worry if, initially, your exhalations are quite a bit longer than your inhalations, and don’t take in more air than your body wants to. Gradually build up your mindful breathing and, after a few weeks, your inhalations and exhalations should be similar in length.
Devote one day a week to practicing total mindfulness.
In an ideal world, one would be mindful for each hour of every day. Unfortunately, our lives are filled with commitments, and mindfulness as an everyday reality is not easy. you set aside at least one day a week to devote to mindfulness. It’s important to note that you should practice mindfulness on the same day each week. By engaging in a weekly routine like this, your chosen day will act as a lever that triggers your mindfulness habit.
Although it might seem indulgent to have one whole day a week entirely dedicated to your own well-being, remember that everyone deserves a day like this. Additionally, without carving out this time for yourself, you’ll eventually lose your life to a whirlwind of stress.
Once you’ve decided on a day, work out how to remind yourself, immediately upon waking, that this is your chosen mindfulness day. For example, hang a note with “mindfulness” written on it above your bed.
Upon waking on your chosen mindfulness day, take slow, deliberate breaths before slowly getting out of bed. When carrying out your morning tasks, such as brushing your hair, concentrate on each action with calmness and serenity. Set aside at least thirty minutes to relax in the bath. Wash yourself in a mindfully slow way, so that afterward you’re truly refreshed and revitalized. After bathing, concentrate on completing household tasks. And don’t just hurry through them without paying any attention. Instead, enter into the spirit of this housework without any reluctance or irritation.
If this is one of your first full days of mindfulness, you might find it helpful to stay silent as much as possible. While talking, or even singing, isn’t forbidden, you should avoid them if you don’t feel able to talk or sing in a completely mindful way.
Take time to linger over a pot of freshly brewed tea. Don’t gulp it down. Enjoy it slowly, treating this simple act with reverence. This day is for you to be alert, relaxed and at peace with yourself & aware of your body & mind.
When we sit down in a state of mindfulness, our minds and bodies may be completely relaxed and totally at peace. But don’t mistake this state of affairs for something it’s not. This sort of relaxation is very different from the sort of half-conscious, lackadaisical state of mind that arises from napping or resting.
Simply resting or dozing has nothing at all in common with mindfulness. Why? Because when we rest, our mind enters a dim cave, albeit a relaxing one. However, when we are mindful, we are restful but also fully alert and wide awake.
Consider that when we nap or rest, we are evading reality for a while. However, when we meditate and engage in mindfulness, we’re not seeking to evade reality, but to encounter it in a serene way. Thus, one who is being mindful should be no less alert than one who is driving a
vehicle. Why? Because just as a sleepy driver will probably have an accident, a mindfulness practitioner who is not fully awake will likely suffer scattered thoughts, as well as forgetfulness.
Therefore, when we practice mindfulness, we should aim to be as alert as a Military soldier journeying through enemy territory, going about our activities knowing that a loss of focus could result in death. Or we should try to be as a Lion, going forth with gentle yet deliberate steps, alert and serene at the same time.
It is important to note that we need to acquire this sort of vigilance before we will be able to experience our complete awakening..
This means recognizing any thoughts or feelings you may experience, such as anger or irritation, in a spirit of welcoming acceptance. Instead of valuing, for instance, compassion more highly than jealousy, treat both feelings as strictly equal in worth. Why? Because they are both a part of you. Remember, when practicing mindfulness, no object is shown more care than any other. Thus, anger, compassion, a teacup, or an archery bow is each sacred.
So endeavor to treat your more challenging feelings, such as pain and hatred, with gentleness and respect. Don’t resist them. Instead, live in peace with them, as you meditate on their interdependence with other objects in your life.
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