The magic of Mindfulness
"We're all just looking for a little happiness... for a quick fix."
I write this article for two reasons, for dealing with the state of chronic anxiety we have fallen into on a daily basis..and for those who may be in a state of mental discomfort due to medication.
Mindfulness...the practice being present, in all you do.. of taking a step back, and becoming the watcher, of your actions .. non judgemental, simply being aware.
You can saying being mindful is like being an understudy..except you learn and pay attention to yourself.. after all we are actors coming into this world.., You watch what you're doing.. One may find the thought of this absurd, the thought of watching oneself.
It almost sounds like a split personality..but that isn't what it is.
What gets split is the reactive mind, from the observant mind.
It isn't just research, but my own experiences, that showed me this is very effective practice to deal with, and ultimately overcome a chronic state of stress..
To say life has become stressful is not needed... Our lifestyle choices, and pressure make us feel we are constantly under the threat of not being good enough.
Fear and stress evolved for man as a means of protection. A little fear kept him practical while hunting in the jungle, and stress reminded him to be alert. But today we feel we are under constant attack as our cities have become jungles of noise, pressure and a lack of true connection.
But sometimes there is a situation you fall into like I did .. where when I was on heavy medication, I found that one of the side effects was the monkey mind. Actually multiply the average monkey mind into 10 and you know what it's like to be on a high dosage of mind messing drugs. Throw in the full moon... its indescribable.. Even a selenite couldn't help. From feeling almost suicidal, to physically being sick, anxiety...
At a time like that- only one thing got me through.. the practice of mindfulness.
Mindfulness has been a practice I follow for a few years now.. It began when I was reading Pema Chodron, and the concept was seeded. I slowly started to understand the concept of the two minds, the I (Ego ) and the Self (Spirit).
As I started to apply it to all I did , slowly, over time - the Self started to realize how I was making things so difficult for me. The point is not to be judgmental and go onto a guilt trip. But to simply watch as a court stenographer would, making note of whats happening. This creates a distraction or a break...it slowly leads the monkey away of his woes, as he realizes there are still so many bananas to enjoy...He realizes hes in a self imposed cage of misery, and it almost makes him laugh... the spell is broken, and while the noise may still be there, or the situation hasn't changed.. perspective has. and that is the fine line between heaven and hell.
The beauty of mindfulness is that you just don't get to use it for the "bad" stuff... but developing a practice makes you also aware of how much good stuff there is... how much actually makes you happy, or life easier, or more wondrous...
So start your practice today. Start by simply being aware of yourself, your body, your breath , the environment.
And make an intention to be observant of the Ego. (reactive mind)
Where are your thoughts going ? Are you really eating your food, or are you actually thinking of work. Can you taste what you eat, or is it being dumped into your mouth.
A helpful tool would be to set an alarm, or a bell that rings at intervals of choice. The ringing bell will serve as a reminder to stand back and be present , rather than mechanically go about the day with a million thoughts overtaking you...
Or you can practice at one mealtime,since we are so in the habit of multi tasking.. Make it a time when you simply sit down to eat and enjoy the taste of your food. Observe which foods you like, how it makes you feel. The texture of the food, the colour.
Do a guided meditation regularly.
Here's one from Pema .
Meditation
And lastly you can enlist the help of crystals.
Crystals to help with mindfulness and peace. (use together)
Tiger Eye
Sodalite
lapis
Amethyst
Blue Lace Agate
Also Check out our Rose Quartz and Howlite Mala here
The greatest benefit of mindfulness for me has been, that on this journey of Self Realization - it has been the best tool to understand my Self, and to enjoy life on this glorious planet.
Because it isn't about being happy 24x 7 . Its about enjoying every experience, and being open to it.
