Mindfulness and Practice
Mindfulness and Practice
Practising being mindful is not something that comes with an instruction manual. There is no right way to practice being mindful because it will vary depending on the individual. It is an exploratory process of discovering what works for you.
(In future blogs we will go over the different practices our team members use to stay mindful and what works for them on an individual level, but for now, let us just go over the basics.)
There are two different styles to mindfulness practice, formal and informal. The formal practice involves traditional methods of meditation. Informal practice includes every other aspect of your life. This can be any routine or activity that draws your attention to the present while performing it. You can go for a walk mindfully, cook dinner mindfully, practice yoga or draw as long as you are doing it mindfully.
How can you practice being mindful and take ownership of your development?
- Learning to trust your inner guide and not an outside figure
- Taking responsibility for your self and your actions
- Recognizing your mistakes and learning how to grow from them and having the capacity to begin to self correct
Practising being mindful brings attention and awareness to your thoughts and feelings. This practice develops the ability to align your thoughts with your values and intentions. You can start to correct old patterns of negative thought or action that may have developed over years.
Be patient, this takes time.
Self discipline is an ongoing mindful practice, especially when talking about negative thought patterns. It is as if you are trying to re-wire the way your brain communicates with yourself. As you bring more attention to your thoughts and feelings it requires you to accept yourself and love yourself. Accept the mistakes you have made or negative patterns you have created.
Therefore, the biggest practice when learning to be more mindful is learning to love your self. Practising being mindful is practising self love.