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Mindfulness

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A sweet friend, who shares the same healthcare provider as I do, told me that the provider was offering a free monthlong mindfulness class. She decided to take the class and asked if I wanted to join. It was a daily 30 minute class early in the morning.
I’ve heard of mindfulness before but it all sounded a bit hokey. I imagined it to be a bunch of weird chanting and smoky rooms. But in light of all the craziness, I’m open to trying anything that might bring an extra ounce of peace. It is 2020 after all.
The first morning, I made my tea and sat quietly at my computer as the guide walked us through several exercises. It felt a little strange imagining trees and calm surrounding fields of trees (one of the exercises) but after 30 minutes I walked away a little lighter, ready to take on the day.
Each day we did something a little different. Sometimes it was physical, sometimes it was mental. Sometimes it focused on stress relief and other times it focused on enjoying the moment and choosing happiness.
I was sitting by the campfire with my 3 year old on my lap. We were curled in a blanket, listening to the pop and hiss of the slightly wet wood. Normally, I’d be on my phone desperately trying to finish just one more work email or writing a list of errands. I rarely just sit. I reflexively grabbed for my phone then put it down again. It was time to try this whole mindfulness thing out in real life. I smelled his hair. I felt the weight of his tiny little body on my lap. I watched as his eyelids started to droop and his head started to lean deeper into my shoulder. These moments are so few and I almost missed it.
We worry about our jobs, we worry about money, we worry about the future. We also need to take some time to be mindful of what we have, not what we don’t.
If you haven’t taken a mindfulness class, I recommend it. You might be able to find a free one or check out a mindfulness book from the library. It’s a pretty cool thing.

2 Comments

  • Reply Alice |

    Dan Harris from Good Morning America talks about Mindfulness a lot. He has a podcast called 10% Happier. He has a great story.

  • Reply Cwaltz |

    There are apps like Calm that can walk you through meditation. I absolutely suck at the sitting still and examining my breathing patterns but I do get that some people are able to do these types of exercises and come away from them more centered and balanced.

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