Almost everywhere I turn, I see or hear someone talking about mindfulness. The term has become super trendy and it’s no surprise as to why. With today’s pressures to live an “always on” life, many feel pushed to the point of exhaustion, (both physically and emotionally), and are re-evaluating their lifestyles and priorities. In their quest to find “a cure”, mindfulness often surfaces as the suggested panacea.
Mindfulness, when practiced regularly and authentically, can play a huge role in how we view ourselves and the world and how we engage in it. Mindfulness means using all your senses to take in the world around you in a non-judgmental way to gain a better understanding of yourself, others and your surroundings. This sense of being fully present in the moment, detached from the past or the future and social media, allows us to live a more compassionate and enriched life. It also helps relinquish feelings of depression and anxiety. Evidence based science continues to substantiate the power of the mind body connection to improve our mental, emotional and physical well-being. If you are questioning the powerful role our minds play in our overall sense of health, then ask yourself, “Have you ever felt extremely fatigued or forgetful during periods of stress? OR what about, “Butterflies in your stomach, tingling down your arms, or sweaty palms with a sense of nervousness or excitement?“
YUP…that’s the mind body connection at work!
Mindset is a huge part of how we see experience the world. Without a doubt, there are times when we cannot choose our circumstances, but we can choose how we see and react to them. CHOICE is very empowering. So, as you begin your own practice of mindfulness, here’s a great tip… try to think of the world as being “rigged in your favor” instead of against you. From personal experience, I can vouch it works!
As a cancer patient, who went through many rounds of chemo and a number of procedures, I gained incredible inner strength and a sense of calm by closing my eyes, taking deep relaxing breaths and believing something good was going to come from all my trying moments, no matter how uncertain things appeared. CHOOSING to look at the bumps in the road as a challenge or a puzzle, instead of a problem, redefined my perspective and helped shape better outcomes, in part because I created my view of them.
Narrowing this down, I realized the power of one word…. HOPE. Hope means living with a sense of trust that everything is going to be okay. HOPE creates a stream of positivity that can flow around the obstructing rocks in our lives and allows us to see new opportunities. It opens the door to a heightened sense of well-being, despite the adversity we encounter.
So, how do we transform hope from an abstract concept into something we can actively practice and experience the magic of the mind body connection?
Here’s how I can break it down for you:
H– Find at least one thing you are Happy for each and every day
O– Be Open to possibilities, even if they seem far-fetched
P– Find People that enrich, empower and uplift you
E– Explore things that bring you good Energy and opportunities for growth
Funny, as you put the bold words together, it says, “Happy, open people explore energy.” I think there is a great message there!
I HOPE you will take the time to give mindfulness a try!
With Gratitude Appreciation & Love,
Randi
