Practicing Mindfulness

“With mindfulness you can establish yourself in the present in order to touch the wonders of life that are available in that moment”

-Thich Nhat Hanh.

I enjoy this quote because it reminds you that to truly enjoy a moment you must be in touch with yourself and the world around you. The practice of mindfulness is something that I have not been good at in the past. I made a concerted effort to change this as I wanted to disconnect from my issues and technology and connect in the moment. It has brought me great peace and clarity and has helped me to truly connect to my inner self and the my goals.

I now find my mindfulness in many places but the easiest way for me to get in touch with it is by taking in nature. As I stated in my original post “Paving the way to the life YOU deserve” I am very fortunate to live near some of the greatest scenery in the world and am able to walk to the beautiful Bronte beach in Sydney within a very short amount of time.

Through swimming at the beach I am not only able to de-stress by the help of physical activity but I am also able to take in my beautiful surroundings and connect with the world around me. Being able to connect with the ocean helps me to relax and gain perspective on things that are effecting me at the moment. Being at one with nature and thinking about what the world has to offer is good for me to find ways to deal with issues that are on my mind. Stepping away from my environment allows me to refocus. It reminds me of how fortunate I am and how to be grateful of my surroundings.

Another mindfulness activities that works for me is paddle boarding. Like swimming it places me again with nature. This activity allows me to take in my surrounding, manoeuvre around waterways or lakes and all while trying to stay upright. This combination is fun and I find myself invigorated and refreshed when I finish.

I love to cook and this provides a different mindfulness activity from the ones I practise in nature. I discovered that cooking allows me to be creative, while making different types of food that I love to share with family and friends. It is fun to try new recipes and experiment. Not everything works, but it is great fun trying. This form of mindfulness is about me focusing on creating for others and the art of sharing. It allows me to give to others while producing something that they can enjoy either with me or at other times.

I am pleased I have found mindfulness activities that help me relax and disconnect from my every day. They help me to deal with issues and challenges in my life.

Do you practise mindfulness? if so share some that work for you?

If not, then try an activity that you like and see if it can make a difference in your life.