I became interested in the practice of mindfulness about a couple of years ago. I was looking to change my life and be more present. At that time I was working a job that demanded at least 10 hours of my time every day, not to mention the additional 2 hours spent in commute. My weekdays used to pass by in a blur and weekends were spent in catching up with chores and trying to cram in a bit of fun.
Needless to say, this routine was taking a heavy toll on my health and it reached a point where if I didn’t do anything about it, I risked losing a lot.
Then I remembered how since childhood, my grandfather used to tell me to spend just 5 minutes a day meditating and that was the place where I decided to start. He said that this exercise would not only calm me down but also improve my physical health. He used to read extensively about ancient Hindu meditation practices and pass on such nuggets of wisdom to me.
So I started with the daily meditation. In my zeal to multi-task, the first time I meditated was on my way to work on the bus. I put my noise cancellation earphones on, closed my eyes and tried to think of nothing for some time.
It was harder than I thought. In fact, it took me several days before I could spend just a couple of thoughtless minutes.
Eventually, I began seeing results
One of the first things that happened was I began entering my workplace with an eager and alert mind. Gone was the drudgery that I usually felt. Rather, now I felt ready to take on the day.
And I got hooked. If only a few minutes of meditation could set such a different tune for the rest of my day; I had to see what else I could change.
Hence, I started reading about mindfulness, starting with the famous book Mindfulness for Beginners by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I learned about how the eastern practices of meditation and yoga were reimagined as the concept of mindfulness as we know of today. The Internet was full of information about this practice.
And soon I got lost in that vortex of information. The prospect of delving deeper into the realm of mindfulness started to feel like a Herculean task- I was afraid of failing even before starting it properly.
Finally, I adopted a few basic practices and decided to stick to them until I was more comfortable with the advanced steps of mindfulness. This made the whole thing doable even with my busy schedule.
Here I am discussing the first few steps that I took, along with the benefits that I experienced from each of them. Please remember that the effects of mindfulness practices vary from person to person. Treat the steps mentioned here as references; it will definitely serve you better if you tailor them to your own specific needs. If you are a beginner, then I hope these give you a blueprint as to how you can start this practice.
Mindfulness through Daily Meditation
I have already touched upon this one. In the beginning, I was doing 5 to 10 minutes of daily meditation. I just closed my eyes and focused on my breathing. Once I had a hang of that, I progressed towards longer meditation sessions. Eventually, I also changed the time of my meditation from mornings to just before going to bed.
You can do it however it feels right for you. There are also some apps that help with guided meditations. You can definitely check them out. I have used some of them and they improved my concentration remarkably.
Benefits for me
- Improved mood.
- Better concentration and alertness
- Increase in mental energy
- Calm mind
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Mindfulness through Yoga
Now, Yoga is another cornerstone of mindfulness and it has proven to have health benefits. However, for me, doing Yoga feels like just another form of meditation, only this time with my entire body instead of my mind.
I started with a simple Yoga flow and still practice the same because it works for me. You can choose a routine as simple or complex as you want; everybody is comfortable at their own pace. I find that starting with a 20 minutes session in the morning profoundly impacts the rest of my day.
Benefits for me
- Better physical health- my chronic back pain now seldom bothers me.
- Physical flexibility.
- Gives me a sense of purpose for the day.
- More focus throughout the day.
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Mindful Consumption
This one is trickier than the previous two. By mindful consumption, I am referring to not only the food that I consume but also what I read or hear or listen to throughout the day.
When it comes to food, I watch what I eat without obsessing over anything. I have stopped consuming most dairy products as I have discovered I am mildly lactose intolerant. Additionally, I always try to eat the recommended daily five servings of fruits and veggies. Beyond these, I go with my instinct and never shy away from the occasional treats. I do not follow any diets and just eat mostly real foods.
When it comes to the consumption of the other kind, I always follow something I had was told as a child-
Your mind is like a little bag. You have only so much space. Now it is up to you whether you want to fill this pouch with rocks or with jewels.
In this era of the Internet, it is imperative that we remain wary of what we watch, listen to or read. I choose to abide by this and it has had a positive impact on my life.
Benefits for me
- Healthy body and mind.
- No more guilt feelings from eating.
- Less drama in my social media profiles.
- I learn something new every day.
To sum it up
I started with baby steps and as I tread down the path of mindfulness, I found that I had the power to change my life for better. I just had to look beyond my uncertainty and had to be willing to try. Today all the above practices have become habits for me; I feel my days are incomplete without them.
If you are starting on your journey of mindfulness like I did, I hope you find the strength in yourself to take that first uncertain step and you will see yourself flourish in no time.
Peace.
Do you have any related experience or story to tell? Please share in the comments below. I would love to hear from you.
