Thich Nhat Hanh's key teaching is that, through mindfulness, we can learn to live in the present moment instead of in the past and in the future. Dwelling in the present moment is, according to Nhat Hanh, the only way to truly develop peace, both in one's self and in the world.Mindfulness is about being completely in touch with the present moment and being open to experiences as they come. Mindfulness has been around for ages. However, mental health professionals are beginning to recognize that mindfulness can have many benefits for people suffering from difficulties such as anxiety and depression.
Practicing mindfulness can be an excellent way of coping with your PTSD symptoms. People with PTSD may sometimes feel as though they have a hard time getting any distance from unpleasant thoughts and memories. They may feel preoccupied with and distracted by these thoughts. As a result, many people with PTSD find that they have a hard time focusing their attention on what matters most in their life, such as relationships with family and friends or other activities that they used to enjoy.
Mindfulness may help people get back in touch with the present moment, as well as reduce the extent with which they feel controlled by unpleasant thoughts and memories. There are many ways of practicing mindfulness. There are exercises for being mindful of your breathing, sounds, thoughts, or your body in general.
Many of these exercises are practiced in a formal manner. That is, they are taught in such a way that people are instructed to put aside a set amount of time during their day so that these exercises can be practiced. Although formal practice is useful to become familiar with certain coping exercises, many people find that they do not have the time to formally practice mindfulness on a regular basis. All is not lost! No matter how busy you are, there are actually many opportunities to informally practice mindfulness during your day. Listed below are some ways that you can bring mindfulness into your everyday activities.
Practice mindful eating: We often eat "unmindfully," not paying attention to what or how much we're consuimg. Next time you eat a snack or meal, be mindful. Pay attention to all the sensations that are associated with eating, such as smell, sight, touch, taste, and sound. Be mindful with every bite you take. You can even be mindful of the sensations associated with swallowing your food.
Practice mindfulness while driving: Driving becomes a habit; however, there is a lot that goes into driving. Next time you go for a drive, be mindful of the sights around you, the radio playing, the noise your car makes as you accelerate or decelerate, the way the air conditioner or heater feels against your skin, or any other sensation associated with driving. There are a number of rich experiences associated with driving -- try to discover as many as you can through mindfulness.
Mindfully wash the dishes: Washing the dishes is a chore that many of us do not like, and oftentimes, we simply try to get it done as quickly as possible. However, washing the dishes is an excellent time to practice mindfulness. There are a number of experiences associated with washing the dishes that we can bring mindfulness to. For example, we can mindful of what each dish feels like in our hands, the temperature of the water against our skin, or the smell of the soap we are using. You might find that practicing mindfulness while you wash dishes completely changes that experience.
These are just a few ways in which we can easily practice mindfulness throughout our day. Here are some more everyday activities that can provide you with the opportunity to practice mindfulness: Taking a shower
Going for a walk
Exercising
Cooking
Listening to the radio
Watching the television
Drinking a cup of coffee
Waiting in line at the grocery store
By bringing mindfulness to your everyday activities, you may be amazed at all the wonderful experiences that are out there that we often take for granted. Try to see what you can discover by informally practicing mindfulness.
7 Attitudes of Mindful Living
by Jen on September 13, 2009
As we engage in mindful living, we come across countless opportunities to train, grow and heal with the seven attitudes of mindfulness.
When I first learned about them, I decided to practice one each week in depth. Starting in the morning with some stretches and meditation, I’d read about that week’s mindful attitude and practice it throughout the day when the opportunity presented itself–and it always did. By the end of the week I had a feel for the attitude, and eventually I learned how much they work together to help us cultivate our gardens.
Seven Mindful Attitudes
1. Nonjudging Awareness–This draft sucks. It smells weird out here. I liked the other restaurant better. We often have our judge on, chitter chattering in our minds and running out of our mouths, but what if we just let the experience be the experience? As we practice, it’s tempting to judge ourselves when we catch the judgments, but it’s all part of the practice.
2. Beginner’s Mind–Everything right now is new and happening for the first time. So even though you’ve had this talk/visited this place/did this job a million times, this time it is new. See each moment as a brand new beginner. Welcome freedom!
3. Nonstriving–This doesn’t mean don’t have a plan, but we can practice staying open and flexible along the way. We can feel when we’re striving. It feels like we’re pushing or forcing a point. Maybe we want to get a certain job, and so we spend our time preparing and fixating on the outcome, but striving keeps us in chains. Shake it off gently and stay open to organic experiences.
4. Mindful Acceptance–Can we accept where we are right now, in this moment? If so, we cut ourselves free from the bonds of expectations and anything false. Accepting the moment as it is brings us to the present moment–the place we are right now. Enjoy!
5. Trust as Self Reliance–Can we trust ourselves? Can we trust in something greater than ourselves? At times we’re tempted to go with what we “think” we should be doing rather than what we trust we should do. Let’s think about it.
6. Mindful Patience–Sounds easy, but we know patience is challenging at times. In the burning feeling of impatience we find our practice. Stay mindful. Practice patience in conjunction with the other attitudes–acceptance, trust, nonstriving, etc.
7. Letting Go, Letting Be–Light and free, this attitude challenges us to just let “it” go and be what it is. I like how this one is often listed last because it so clearly works with all of the others. Let go of judging, striving, impatience, anger…just breathe. Let it be.
