What is mindfulness?
Do you find life buzzing by you in incredible speed?
Are you living in the past wishing you could go back and change a few things?
Do you have anxiety about the future and where you will be in five years?
Is your mind feeling fried staring and relying on technology?
Do you feel stress, guilt, tired and emotional. Are you not
achieving or performing as well as you could or comparing good self to others?
These are common themes that come up in my massage room from clients who have hit the overwhelm button and do not know how to come back.
It’s time to sit or lie down, switch off all your technology (unless using a mindfulness app of course, then we pop it on aeroplane mode).
Stop what we are doing and smell the roses. Breathe in a gentle calming mindful breath in and learn some new strategies for your daily life as you exhale!
Mindfulness can change how we look and feel about our lives in the most simplest and humbling way!
Greater Good Magazine’s definition of Mindfulness is:
‘Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment.’
Here are some hot mindfulness techniques:
Colouring-
Is so much fun and brings out your inner child and creativity. When you colour you concentrate on the task so your ‘monkey mind’ calms. It’s also good for your brain and surprisingly relaxing.
I guarantee you if you leave your colouring book on the table the whole family will want to start filling your page and create beautiful designs.
Yoga
You are given instructions for your movement and breath, which takes your mind to your body. By the time you get to end of the class lying still and calmly feels so much easier as
you have given your mind a break from the every day. You don’t have to be super bendy to enjoy yoga as you move at your own pace.
Mindfulness class/group
Meditation or mindfulness classes take the stress out of knowing what to do. You meet like-minded people at different stages of their mindfulness journey and are guided by a trained and experienced coach. This can be much easier than trying it on your own as a beginner.
It also makes you commit to the practice if you have a scheduled class to attend.
Mindfulness App’s
These apps are all similar although have slightly different focus’s from mediation tips to white noise sounds of rain to fall asleep to.
Easy instructions and usually have free trials you can not go wrong with trying an app or even popping mindfulness into YouTube and seeing what pops up for free.
Clients who never stop in life respond so well to massage.
They have one hour of no phones, no work and family and they can melt into the table. A new client may find this difficult at first, as it is such a change from their hectic life. Focus on breath and being present during the massage really helps.
If you really need to switch off ask for no talking during your massage and have a relaxation massage from time to time.
Morning & Evening Rituals
Rituals are important and create healthy habits.
A simple as a cup of tea and 5 minutes of peaceful music
A walk at the same time each day
Acknowledging your feelings and being grateful for what they may be.
Appreciating the moment you are in
10 minutes listening to one of your mindfulness apps.
Morning and evening rituals should not include looking at your mobile phone, TV or computer as these keep you wired.
Mindfulness in the work place and schools
With anxiety at an all time high it is so great to see work place and schools take the lead here.
Stressful environments do not create productive workers or inspire creativity. It is great to see more and more companies and organisations take Mindfulness so seriously.
Mindfulness takes practice
Find what works for you by trying different techniques as what works for one will not work for all. Be kind and patient to yourself.
My mindfulness practice has calmed down my inner negative voice and given me a positive way to unwind and is a ‘go to’ at times of stress. It has also reminded me to appreciate the little things in life.
The key here is to try it and see how well it can enhance your work, sleep and enjoyment of your beautiful life.
What is working for you?
I would love to know what works for you and your mindfulness journey.