Being mindful is about intentionally creating space for your body and your mind to work together.
Problems often flood my day creating a backlog of resolutions needing to be found. The clutter results in my mind being blocked from finding what I need. When I incorporate mindful time, I find clarity and resolutions are naturally discovered.
The mindfulness is developed through the following steps:
Find a quiet place.
Breathe
Allow the thoughts to find their home.
Break free from a cluttered mind.
The art of mindfulness allows you to create space.
When developing content, I am often hit with a block. A flurry of thoughts about my day decides that is the time to invade my mind. They block the thoughts I need by interjecting more demands. If I try to force through, I become frustrated and tired. When I retreat to a quiet space, I find clarity. This is not more true than when I am dumbfounded by a problem. I can’t seem to solve it until I lay down to go to sleep. Then, with the darkness around me and the quietness embracing me, I am able to find clarity. The solutions appear as if they had been too timid to reveal themselves in the light of day. This is an intentional act of mindfulness. My mind knows I need quiet to clear my mind of clutter and watch as what remains becomes found. My mind knows what I need and will deliver given the right circumstances.
Mindfulness is created as you:
Find a quiet place.
A quiet space is necessary for your mind to feel free.
The noise of our daily lives infiltrates and influences what we accomplish and what we move toward. The demands can apply such pressure we don’t realize we have a choice. The tangible quiet space becomes an alert to the more tucked away areas of the mind that they are being invited to join self. Without this space, these deeper areas of ourselves will stay hidden. They await the invitation to be accepted and noticed.
Use the following steps to discover your quiet space.
Identify a place with minimal external distractions.
Input is received through each of your senses. When you identify a place with minimal sensory input, you will find less resistance within yourself.
Ensure the lack of interruption to you occupying this space.
It’s essential to find a place where you won’t be interrupted. The anticipation of interruptions can be distracting and keep your mind away from deeper thought.
Go to a space that your mind and body are familiar with.
Familiarity takes away some of the work. There won’t be any new input your mind has to sort through.
Create a routine with time and space.
Going to the same space at the same time of the day allow your brain to work less during these moments. You will be able to focus more on the intention.
Find freedom to be authentic in the quiet space.
Breathe
Breathing regulates and connects the mind to the body.
As I sit in my quiet space, the sound of my breath becomes evident. Funny, I didn’t hear it throughout the day. I didn’t even notice I was doing it. But, now in the absence of competing demands, I am present with my breath. I don’t pressure it to do anything but be. I allow it space to do what it must. It finds its own pace and rhythm. I notice that I begin to feel connected to other areas of my body through my breath. I envision the breath I take in carrying the freedom of the quiet throughout my body, into my heart, my mind and my soul. As I exhale, I imagine the remnants of noise which remain making their exit. My breath carries them to a place outside of my body where they can wait until I am ready to absorb their necessity again.
Breathing become more conscious as you:
Notice the sound of your breath.
There is sound which is created with each breath. The sound is a reminder to you that you are alive and right now this breath becomes your evidence of life within you.
Notice as you inhale and exhale.
There are multiple phases of each breath. The start of the inhalation transitions into a brief pause before the start of the exhalation begins. Once complete, the body allows space before a new breath begins.
Pay attention to the rhythm of your body as it settles into an easy pattern of breathing in and breathing out.
You have a rhythm that is your own. The natural pace at which your body receives each breath is unique to you. The pace should not be manipulated. Allow your body to be without any additional effort.
Return to your breath.
When distractions lead you away from the visibility of your breath, find your way back by once again noticing the sound and the rhythm of your breath.
Find your pace that fits you best through your breath.
Allow the thoughts to find their home.
When we choose to focus on being mindful, thoughts will begin to clamor to occupy the empty space which busyness once held.
When we find our quiet space, we cannot bring an agenda in. We are only there to be. We see what is and allow what will be to wait for us when we are finished. You may find your mind cluttered with many thoughts at this time. You can notice these and allow them to pass. We notice their presence but we don’t strike up a conversation. We don’t ask them what they are needing or why they are there and we certainly don’t show them to the door. Our mind has a sign over the door at this time that reads “all are welcome”. By not putting up resistance, we continue to allow our mind to stay with the natural pace of our breath and begin to experience harmony with ourselves and the parts of us who show up daily to do their job. It is there that answers are found and everything else is cleared away.
Your thoughts will find their place as you:
Notice any thought which enters the space.
Each thought wants to be noticed. You can do this by creating the vision of each thought in a cloud.
Allow each thought to be.
Each thought will go where it needs to be. If it is a problem looking for a resolution, it will find its way back to you when you are ready. If it is a resolution to a problem, your acknowledgement is all it needs to be stored away and used when the time is right.
Don’t fight against anything.
Your thoughts are for you. They are instinctively trying to bring you resolution. Those which aren’t attached to the problem at hand will drift away once noticed and those which are crucial will be kept for safekeeping.
If you start to move into an agenda or resistance, return to your breath. It is your natural regulator.
The natural reset button is your breath. Finding the rhythm or the sound will return you to the life within you. This allows you to restart the process.
You will create needed space with mindfulness.
Mindfulness creates open space where resolution is found.
Our minds can become cluttered with thoughts which block problems from being resolved. Clarity is achieved as I use my breath and simple acknowledgement of my thoughts.
Your moments of mindfulness can be found when you:
Find a quiet place.
Breathe
Allow the thoughts to roam free.
Mindfulness will free you from the clutter of unnecessary problems.