Finally, Mindfulness Day is here- 12th September 2011! And I have a mindfulness plan.
Since mindfulness is about being in the present moment completely and fully, here are two things I have planned to do today to celebrate mindfulness. I would love it if you, in the privacy of your own spaces and minds join me in whichever suits you. We may not do these everyday, although that is the attempt, but today maybe a start to being mindful…Maybe you will have an entire day of mindfulness someday.
My plan for today:
Before I start my work today evening, I am going to have a cup of nice green tea-mindfully. Every sip with awareness. Feeling the temperature of the cup in my hands, of the sip in my mouth. Sensing the aroma as it arises. Being aware of it first taste, of the traveling of the tea from my mouth to my throat and beyond. Being conscious of my breath between the two sips. I shall have my whole cup of tea slowly today with consciousness and mindful awareness.
Before I retire to bed tonight, I shall spend ten minutes in being aware of myself and my surroundings. I shall be aware of the sounds I hear-breeze, trees swaying, traffic sounds, people sounds, television next door and be aware that I am hearing those sounds. I shall look around then and take in what I am seeing. Although I am aware of the furniture and other stuff in my house, I am going to look at them again. I am going to notice what I have not seen earlier and what I have. I perhaps haven’t seen where the wood shines more and where it dulls. I shall notice the scratches on the furniture, the dust or lack of it, the way the phone is kept and the way its wire twirls. Perhaps I haven’t noticed how the clothes on the peg sway in the fan breeze, or even which clothes are on the peg. I shall take in the room around me, seeing it for what it is, not reacting, not thinking how I need to tidy up or what needs to be done, but merely seeing it.
I shall pay attention to the smells, the touch of the breeze on my face, my breath as I see things around.
The rest of the day and even as I am posting now, I am going to try to be slow, conscious and completely aware.
This is my mindfulness plan for today. You could join me in these activities or you could have your own mindfulness plan. Any activity that you do slowly and observe and be involved in fully can make you mindful. Do make a mindfulness plan for today.
Here is another good suggestion by Katinka:
Notice… take a deep breath; notice five things you can see.; notice five things you can hear; notice five things you can feel (shoes, pants, hair against forehead etc.)
“Smile, breathe and go slowly” said Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk.
Being mindful feels wonderful and has great benefits. It takes the stress away from our life for that moment. Our brain connects to our reality, to our body, to ourselves and we are in harmony with ourselves and therefore with the world around when we are mindful. Do let me know what your mindfulness plans were, what you did for mindfulness day and how did you feel.
Wishing you a lot of love, integration and harmony today…
