Mindfulness & Anxiety
Start within, then move out.
"Our life is shaped by our minds; we become what we think."
Guatama Buddha
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is choosing where you focus your attention. A trained mind, if you will. With the practice of steering our focal point we can unhook and depersonalize our feelings. We can acknowledge our emotions without letting them consume us. Allow the feelings their moment on stage, while we watch... the observer of our reactions. After they are done putting on a show, they will naturally exit stage left.
Tending to the present moment means increasing your awareness about what is going on, right now, all around you.
Stop for a moment.
Take a deep breath in.
Feel the air pass from your environment into your vessel of a body. Experience your lungs and abdomen expanding. Notice the breath leave your body, completely changed. This in and of itself is a miracle. When your mind is spinning out or your heart is racing, come back to your breath. This tiny miracle is happening roughly 23,000 times a day. You have 23,000 invitations a day to meet the present moment where it is at, regardless of your environment.
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Our thinking mind will take off, we can bring it back, again and again and again. This is the practice. As we build this muscle, we begin to create space around our feelings. With repetition the amount of energy and time needed for steering our awareness decreases. We are able to more fully meet each moment as it comes.
Allow your inhalations to inspire you... To provide a constant gateway back to the present moment.
A Happier, Healthier You
"Anxiety softens when we can create a space between ourselves and what we’re experiencing. When you react in ways that aren’t mindful, they can gradually grow into habits that are detrimental to your health and well-being. Consequently, these patterns of reactivity further your suffering or distress. This is why it’s so important to discern clearly the difference between reacting with unawareness and responding with mindfulness.
When you become aware of the present moment, you gain access to resources you may not have had before. You may not be able to change a situation, but you can mindfully change your response to it. You can choose a more constructive and productive way of dealing with stress rather than a counterproductive or even destructive way of dealing with it." -Mindful.org