Mindfulness has been the single most impactful practice thing that I do. I started practicing mindfulness when I was working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car. I began to draw my attention to how stress manifested in my body. When I was stressed and uncomfortable at my job which was frequently ( I felt like an outsider and found the job menial), my shoulders would tense up and become stiff. When I noticed what was happening, I was able to consciously breathe through my stress and relax my shoulders.
I eventually left the job, but practicing mindfulness stuck.
Through this practice, I am becoming more and more aware of my thoughts and how my thoughts create emotions and how those emotions dictate my actions. Sounds like a mouthful right?
It is. But by drawing my awareness within I have so many more choices. I can choose to feel disappointment, sadness, fear and jealousy. I choose to notice how they feel within my body. I choose to notice the thoughts that prompted these feelings. And with the same amount of noticing, can breathe in the pain of the feelings and breathe out the healing.
Because of this I can return to an emotional and physical “homeostatsis” quickly. External events are having less and less control over my internal state.
It’s a glorious way to live in this chaotic world.
Do you have a mindfulness practice? If not, what has prevented you from starting one?
Anna Hope Coaching 