I am being mindful when I am fully aware, and not distracted and not hurried.

I am being mindful when I have a relaxed concentration on a particular thought I’m having, or an action I’m doing, or on a thought someone is expressing as I actively listen to that person, while not having other thoughts in my head at that moment.

Mindfulness is bringing one’s attention to experiencing the present moment fully, not multi-tasking or only giving partial attention.
Mindfulness isn’t emptying your mind, but it might involve stopping repetitive thoughts, or thoughts like a to-do lists, in order to be able to fully pay attention this present moment.

What gets in the way of mindfulness?

• Our own Repetitive thoughts
• Forgetting to be mindful and allowing thoughts to run wild
• Multitasking
• Feeling the need to hurry through something, or always in a hurry
• Having music, podcasts, or TV show running in the background
• Any and all distractions

Emotions such as worry, frustration, and anger can get in the way of mindfulness, nut they present a great opportunity to practice mindfulness

How to practice mindfulness:

The more a person practices mindfulness, the easier it gets. It can create a feeling of calmness, relaxation even in a chaotic or stressful situation.

1. Single Focused Task – One great way to practice mindfulness is when you’re alone doing a single focused task such as washing dishes, or making a meal, or eating alone.
When washing dishes, become aware of the temperature of the water and how it feels on your hands. Bring your awareness to how your hands use the wash rag to remove any food on the dish. Be aware of the weight of the dish. Be aware of how the water washes the dish clean. Be aware of your breath moving in and out as you wash.

2. Eating – When eating alone, don’t have any distractions (no music, podcast, tv, phone or iPad etc…) Be aware of your breath and breathing. Pay attention to what the food tastes like, the texture of it, the temperature of it. Pay attention to each sip of your beverage, each bite of your food.

3. In Conversation – Practicing mindfulness in a conversation with another person, or in a group of people is more of a challenge, but a great one to work on.
Often times when there is a conversation, it can be hard to mindful of what the other person is saying, because we have our own thoughts we want to share. Being in a conversation with another person is a great time to practice being mindful, and actively listening to what’s being said in words, in facial expression, and gesture.

4. Walking Meditation – One of my favorite ways to get into a mindful state, and practice mindfulness is with a walking meditation. For some people who are beginning to try meditation, walking mediation can be easier to start than sitting in a meditation.

  It can be done in just a few minutes or you can extend it longer.   Walking meditation should be done in a safe quiet place, where you can focus on being mindful of your steps and not worry so much about what is happening around you. I love to practice this in my back yard, barefoot, grounding into the earth. Some prefer to practice in a hallway in their home.  Find your quiet space to walk.

Keep your eyes open during walking meditation, start by standing and feeling your feet on the ground, become aware of your breath moving in and out, and with full awareness of how your feet feel on the ground, begin to walk slowly.

There is a lotus flower visualization that I love from Thich Nhat Hahn that you can find in his  ‘A Guide to Walking Meditation’  Here he says

“”We should all cause a lotus flower to bloom with each our peaceful steps. Next time you practice walking meditation, please try visualizing a lotus flower opening as your feet touch the ground…”  – Thich Nhat Hahn

This walking mediation, even if only done for a couple of minutes, is such a beautiful and wonderful way to practice mindfulness.