Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention in the moment. It is only by centering your full attention in the moment that you can become aware of the content of your thoughts.
Mindfulness gives you the awareness to make permanent changes in your eating patterns. It has been successful in stabilizing eating behaviors in persons with binge eating disorder. Mindfulness allows you the spaciousness to become aware of your internal state. It is this internal state that drives your emotional eating. With mindfulness, you can tune in to see if you are hungry for food, or if you are hungry for emotional nourishment.
Here is an easy to incorporate activity:
Begin with your eyes closed. The will center you and set the intention for mindfulness. You do not have to keep them closed the whole time.
Let’s start with the breath. With the mind centered on the process of breathing, take in a full breath. Feel how the breath comes into the body. Release the breath and notice how the breath leaves the body. Continue this process until you feel the muscles throughout your body relax. Stay mindful and present focused. If your mind begins to escape, gently bring it back. If thoughts begin to invade, gently shoo them away. Imagine your thoughts are on a merry-go-round, when one jumps off, just gently put it back on the merry-go-round.
(Caution: do not let thoughts of irritation or frustration with self enter in to this mindful technique…practice grace for yourself and your ability to learn this technique)
Once you feel ready, allow the mind to open just a fraction to hear nature’s song around you, feel the environment, smell the aroma of the environment, in your imagination, what do these sounds and smells taste like. Now open your eyes and absorb what is around you. Do your senses convey your surroundings? What is happening in the moment? Take in the little nuances of everyday life in nature, life outside of yourself. Notice the details.
Spend several minutes absorbing the quiet; allow your breath to be your anchor in the moment.
When the mind gets pulled away, always come back to the breath.
Practice this technique daily, it can be incorporated into any event or happening in your life. Be present.
The fun part of this whole experience is that it will help to bring your body to the relaxed state where your metabolic power resides. Meaning, the more relaxed you operate your life…the more metabolic power you will have. OXYGEN is the key ingredient to mindfulness. OXYGEN is the key ingredient to increased metabolism. OXYGEN is life.
Go enjoy a mindful moment and bring more energy, vitality and strength to you, body and soul.
Please leave your comment below. I’d love to hear how mindful moments have helped you to reach this state of being.
Ashly