I want to feel happy and healthy in both body and mind, but where should I begin?
In that case, I’d suggest mindfulness. A simple practice you can start right away, without any cost, and it can make you fell better from the inside out.
- want to feel happy and healthy but don’t know where to start
- want to take care of their health but haven’t been able to begin
- already care about their health but sense that something more is needed
In this article, I will introduce three simple reasons why mindfulness can be a wonderful first step.
What is Mindfulness？
Does mindfulness mean doing meditation?
Mindfulness is an awareness of one’s internal states and surroundings. The concept has been applied to various therapeutic interventions -for example, mindfulness-based cognitive behavior therapy, mindfulness-based stress reduction, and mindfulness meditation —to help people avoid destructive or automatic habits and responses by learning to observe their thoughts, emotions, and other present-moment experiences without judging or reacting to them.
For us at Spirit Dance World, Mindfulness is defined, in a broad sense, is the state of simply being in the presence “here and now”. In a more practical sense, it means being fully connected with your five senses.
As you become more experienced, mindfulness includes the ability to step into the viewpoint of the one who is observing your sensations.
At a more advanced stage, mindfulness becomes a state of presence that is so clear and open that it feels like “no-mind”.
An Invitation to Mindfulness
Mindfulness is something I recommend because even small, everyday moments of practice can gently increase the amount of time you feel good throughout your day.
So from here, let me share three reasons why mindfulness can be such a helpful practice.
- It calms the monkey mind
- It helps prevent injuries and overeating
- It brings more simplicity into your life
Reading this with a mindful presence will help deepen your understanding.
It calms the monkey mind
Monkey mind?
“Monkey mind” is a state where many thoughts occupy your mind for an extended time, essentially a kind of mental noise or clutter. It’s like having a group of monkeys (your thoughts) chattering and leaping restlessly from branch to branch. As soon as one thought appears, it jumps to the next, and then to another, never settling down.
As a result, your attention slips away from what you’re doing, leaving you distracted or prone to small, careless mistakes.
To give you an idea, the opposite of being mindful can be described with words such as inattentive, negligent, incautious, or rash.
- You’re working on a task, but your mind is already thinking about the next one
- You’re listening to someone, but your mind is busy planning what you’ll say next
- You’re doing yoga or meditation, but your thoughts drift to the things you need to do afterward
- You’re eating, but your attention is on the information you’re consuming rather than the food itself
- You lie down to sleep, but your mind starts thinking about worries or concerns
By beginning a mindfulness practice, your attention shifts from the thoughts in your head to the sensations of your five senses. As this happens, the restless monkeys quiet down, and the once-busy mind becomes calm.
When your awareness returns to the activity you’re actually doing, you can fully focus on the experience itself. From this kind of presence, you begin to enjoy each moment more deeply, and what you create, your time, your space, your actions naturally becomes more refined, delicate, and filled with a sense of good taste.
It helps prevent injuries and overeating
When you move your body in a mindful state, you become aware of the muscles you’re using, your center of gravity, your posture, and your breathing. At the same time, you also become sensitive to the sounds, movements, and subtle singnals coming from your surroundings.
The more strongly you cultivate mindfulness, the quieter the world around you feels, and your movements become more refined. You naturally avoid unnecessary actions and steer away from anything unsafe, simply by following this calm, intuitive flow.
- When you’re driving, riding or walking, your muscles soften and your movements become smoother
- When you’re exercising or playing sports, you stay connected to your body and avoid getting pulled into emotions or distracting thoughts
- When you’re eating or drinking, you slow down the movements and avoid choking or spilling
Being in a mindful state not only helps prevent accidents or injuries, but also allows you to slow down and fully enjoy the sensations you take in.
For example, when you are eating, you can gently notice the temperature as it enters your mouth, the texture as it moves, and the quiet moment when it travels down your throat and into your stomach. You can sense your thirst being soothed and your hunger gradually being satisfied.
Whatever you do, when you take the time to fully savor that quiet, spacious moment, it feels as if time itself slows down and you are moving within a gentle, unhurried flow.
Life Feels Simpler
Becoming mindful means sharpening your senses, slowing down your breathing just as your thoughts slow down, and bringing more depth into your movements. As this happens, you naturally begin to see the difference between what is truly necessary and what is not, and you start making those choices consciously. This is called “a conscious choice“.
- the amount of food you eat
- the timing of your breaks
- how you spend your time and money
- the people you surround yourself with
- the activities you choose to engage in
There are two types of thinking “analytical” and “intuitive” thinking, and mindfulness helps you distinguish between them. As a result, you spend less time letting your thouthts wonder unnecessarily. It’s not about trying “not” to think about something, but about naturally recognizing what doesn’t need to be thought about in the first place.
This refined way of being gives rise to emotional stability, a sense of ease, and a quiet inner peace.
Key Points to Keep in Mind for Mindfulness
Mindfulness has many advantages, yet there are moments when a fully mindful state may not fit well with the pace and expectations of everyday life. For this reason, it’s important to consciously turn it on and off, depending on the situation.
For example, some people may become so absorbed in what is right in front of them that they forget appointments or struggle to keep up with their daily routines. When mindfulness begins to interfere with everyday functioning like this, it’s important to address it.
Let me share two helpful tips you can use from here.
Here are two recommendations
- Using alarms and reminders
- Start small
Using alarms and reminders
Just like meditation, mindfulness becomes more enjoyable when you face it a defined space in your day. By intentionally turning it on and off and making gentle transitions between activities, you can fully appreciate the precious moments you spend in that mindful state.
When you have appointment or plans, it becomes the perfect opportunity to enjoy that “limited” time. This simple habit brings both richness and a healthy rhythm to your day.
Start Small
Starting small simply means enjoying mindfulness in short moments.
- The moments when you eat alone
- The time you spend listening to a favorite song
- The moments when you practice yoga or stretching
Begin by choosing a moment when you can be by yourself and a moment you genuinely enjoy. It might be only a minute, or five, or ten. What matters is choosing a time when you have enough room to look within, withdraw a little, and softly retune to your five senses.
If you want to make it even smaller, you can simply try being mindful while drinking a glass of water. A loose, gentle approach like this with no pressure at all can be surprisingly fulfilling.
Even a short moment can feel long and rich when you spend it mindfully.
Summary
Mindfulness is the state of being fully present “here and now” and engaging your five senses. it helps you spend more time feeling good throughout your day, which is why I highly recommend it.
Three reasons I recommend mindfulness
- It calms the monkey mind
- it helps prevent injuries and overeating
- It brings simplicity to your life
And of course, there are a few things to keep in mind as well.
If you find yourself becoming too absorbed in a mindful state, try practicing these two approaches. They can help you stay balanced while still enjoying mindfulness.
Two recommendations
- Using alarms and reminders
- Start small
If practicing on your own feels difficult, you might find it helpful to use guided mindfulness on YouTube. They can gently support you and make the experience easier.
Singing, humming, or engaging in any creative activity you love can be a lovely way to practice mindfulness as well.
When you fully savor the experience of the present moment through mindfulness, you naturally create more time that feels calm, light, and stress-free. As a result, both your body and mind begin to feel healthier.
コメント