Mindfulness

Mindfulness simply means being in the here and now with your thoughts, emotions, body and surroundings by staying open and curious. I try to practice mindfulness everyday, and most days I manage quite well. However, there are those times I get into my head and out the window it goes.

Recently, I was asked to speak about being mindful for a local rotary club. I was both honored and excited to be able to share ideas with them. In preparation I wanted to make it interesting and valuable of their time. As the members entered the room and began to settle around the space, I noticed the number of men that filed in. I was pleasantly surprised at the volume. For some reason I thought the majority would be women but that wasn’t the case. The men attendees were as many as the women, if not more.

As I thought of my presentation I wondered if they would connect as much as I thought the women would. Because in my mind when I think of practicing mindfulness I think of women……not sure why. I began a little game in my head that the men may not find the ideas and final exercise engaging. I quickly had to stop myself from creating a falsehood and knew my presentation had good information that may not be for everyone, and left it at that.

After the initial introductions and a little background I began to share my ideas. As I looked around the room, they were interested, both men and women. Some engaged with me a little more but I felt like it was going well. There are many ways to practice mindfulness but had a few favorites to share.

Deep breathing exercises - breathing in a pattern of 4-7-8 (breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 and exhale for 8 - repeat up to 4x)

Setting a reoccurring reminder on your calendar - a fun little prompt to keep you present

Gratitude - a daily practice of thanks (including the little things)

Word of the year - using your word to guide your actions

Meditation

Meditation was the last idea on my list and I asked the members to participate in a mindfulness exercise. Only one person had raised their hand when I asked who currently practiced meditation. I trusted my gut then preceded to take them through a guided meditation titled “Be Here Now.” It was nice to see everyone was engaged as I began. For 10 minutes they closed their eyes and trusted me to guide them through this new experience. As I glanced around the room I could tell they were engaged by their body language and occasional smile. I took them on a journey but it was their own mind and imagination that provided all the details.

When the meditation was finished, I offered a handout of a short one minute exercise and was pleasantly surprised they all wanted a copy. Upon leaving, one gentleman stopped to tell me he had provided tools to his employees that included being mindful and meditation. I was touched by the lovely way he validated the importance of my presentation; he was very engaged during the exercise. I learned a valuable lesson about not having pre-conceived notions of men and women.

Did you know practicing mindfulness helps reduce stress and anxiety, improves attention and emotional regulation to name a few? How do you practice mindfulness? If you’re new to the concept try the following one-minute meditation. It may be the start of a new journey for you.

Loving-Kindness Meditation (repeat for one minute):

“I am happy, I am well, I am filled with kindness and peace.”

xoxox…..Sheryl