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The gift of the present
“Wherever you are, be there totally.”
- Eckhart Tolle
Mindfulness is one of those buzz words that has catapulted to the forefront of the mental health field over the past 25 years. Many people have heard of it or know what it is, but when it comes to practicing mindfulness, it’s still a relatively new concept for some people. Quite simply, it’s focused attention. My first introduction to mindfulness was a book I received from my aunt about 20 years ago by Jon Kabat-Zinn entitled, Wherever You Go, There You Are. It was the game-changer I needed to help me be more present and less anxious in my life.
A simple practice I learned from the book was the “raisin mediation” where you spend a few minutes eating a raisin. It may sound grueling at first, but it’s a great lesson in being mindful and truly experiencing the moment. It’s a stark contrast to mindless eating, when we wonder how we managed to gobble down that meal so fast without breathing between bites. Or is that just me? 😁 This exercise alone helped me to have more awareness when I eat, so I can truly enjoy the experience instead of just shoveling food down my throat. It also helps me be more mindful about the foods I choose to eat and the amount.
Mindfulness techniques were able to help me manage my anxiety by getting me outside of my own mind and fully into the now. I…
