ARTICLE: Mindfulness for Everyone by Suzanne Williams

Tea being poured from pot into cup

Mindfulness is all about bringing ourselves into ‘this moment’ and experiencing it as it is.

The benefits of mindfulness and a more mindful way of being are endless. It can reduce symptoms of anxiety, stress, depression and increase feelings of positivity, self-worth and resilience. These are some benefits, but there are so many more!

When we are feeling more mindful and calm, those around us can sense this and experience calmer and more resilient feelings too. Just because they are around us! This is because they will pick up on our energy and our calmer state of being. So, mindfulness can have a ripple effect in our homes and the communities and groups in which we live.

But the biggest barrier to mindfulness for people is the idea that it will be hard to do and require lots of work and time. This is not true! And in this blog, I am going to share with you
some effortless tips to bring calm, peace and clarity into your day. These are easy and hopefully enjoyable too!

The advice I give to many of my students and clients is to begin with mini pauses in your day. This will start to ‘clear the clutter’ of the mind.

1. The easiest way to introduce these mini pauses is to take one breath in and out whenever you do something routine in your day. So, whenever you make a cup of coffee or go to the toilet – you take a breath. Whenever you open the door to leave the house you take a breath. And so on…
These small breaths and mini mindful moments, practised frequently and effortlessly, will start clearing the mind and its busy thoughts. This will begin opening your eyes to this moment, where there is calm, clarity and so much more than you could possibly imagine.

2. Another lovely mindful technique is to say ‘This will pass’ in your head. For example, you pop the kettle on and say this lovely mantra a few times in your head, which will slow down your other thoughts and bring you into this moment. It will also help you to realise that all moments pass – the good, the bad and the downright ugly!

3. My last idea for an easy and short practice is to notice, where you are: 5 things you can see; 4 things you can hear; 3 things you can feel; 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. This simple tip will bring you away from distracting thoughts and concerns and into the moment – where there is lots more to experience. This can draw you into calmer space and help you regain peace of mind.

These tiny actions, in your day, can bring some much-needed calm, clarity and resilience into your life. And these changes will ripple and allow other positive changes to unfold, and this can impact on all those around you in your life.

If you feel calm – others are more able to feel relaxed too!

So, take a breath…

Suzanne Williams, Sessions of the Soul

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