Nourish the heart through mindfulness...

"Mindlessness is about living on automatic pilot. Your relying on the distinctions and categories that you drew in the past, so the past is determining the present. You're trapped in a single perspective... All the while you're oblivious to this, you're insensitive to context and perspective. You have rules and routine that are guiding you — governing what you're doing — that may not make any sense any longer. " Ellen Langer, Social Psychologist

Living Mindfully vs. Mindlessly

Living mindfully means that we move through life with a real and profound awareness of how we are responding to life. Instead of living life on auto pilot we begin to feel more connected to our internal experience (breathing, moving, feeling, seeing, etc.) and our external world (nature, people, sounds, etc.). Living mindfully means that we stop living in aworld of virtual thoughts and connect with the world around and within us.

When we live mindlessly we move through life in a world of thoughts, opinions and beliefs and we react to world based on what we are thinking. It's like living in a trance or being a hamster on the wheel of life. This constant doing creates stress, tension and has negative effects on our over all emotional, physical and mental health.  We often don't even notice, until we end up in the doctor's office or find ourselves emotionally overwhelmed. Taking breaks throughout the day to check in is essential to our health! It isn't about being lazy or letting yourself off the hook it's about taking care of yourself so that you feel more balanced, clear-minded and approach life with wisdom and compassion.

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Some examples of living mindlessly are:

1. Driving to work and being so caught up in thoughts that you don't notice your surroundings and don't even remember driving!
2. At the end of the day you get home and automatically move onto the next thing to do. (i.e. fixing dinner, helping kids with homework.)
3. Your on vacation and instead of relaxing and enjoying time off, you're worrying about what's happening in the office.
4. Your spouse is speaking to you and instead of listening, you're thinking about what you're going to make for dinner.
   
   
5. I could go on and on but I think you get the point!
   

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Create opportunities to be mindful. Contemplate the following:

• Pause what you're doing and close your eyes. Feel the sensation of the breath coming into the body. Notice the parts of your body move as you breathe... feel the coolness of the breath around your nostrils... the expansion of the chest, lungs and belly on the inhale and the sensation of letting go on the exhale... Breathe in spaciousness...breathe out and soften on the exhale.
• When you're driving, make it a point to notice your surroundings. Notice and name 5 new things you see.
• As you bathe feel the water against your skin. Pause to take in the scent and silkiness of the soap.
• When you hug a loved one allow yourself to feel the warmth and contact of your body against theirs.
• When planning, notice how the mind feels (busy, worried, contracted) notice how the body feels (tense, joyful, scared), what's the breathing like (shallow, deep, tight).  Close your eyes and center yourself before continuing this activity.

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When we learn to connect mindfully to the life both within and outside of us, we lessen reactivity and move towards responding in ways that are healing and compassionate. We turn off the cruise control and connect with the energy, aliveness and compassion that is such an important part of living wholeheartedly. Our appreciation for all of life grows and we are able to face challenges with wisdom and compassion.

Until next time...May you live with ease and peace...