Mindfulness - Let the breath lead the way

MINDFULNESS

When we hear mindfulness, big words such as meditation, being still, and doing
nothing come to mind. This does not necessarily mean you cannot practice
mindfulness unless you sit at one place and close your eyes. You can practice this
anytime.

Mindfulness is taking a notice of things.

Consider an example of walking.

Some people get bored when just walking, they tend to see their mobiles, listen to
songs or prefer taking a bike or a cab. You can practice mindfulness while walking as
well. Notice your arms getting heated up while walking. Feel which muscles are
taking part in this process, which muscles move, making you effectively walk. Notice
the wind around you, on which parts of your body can feel the wind and which parts
of your body feel the clothing. Notice the odors or fragrances you smell. Just see
things which are in front of you. Don’t judge, just see, observe.
Mindfulness and Multitasking

The human brain is not capable of multitasking. It switches from task to task so fast
and efficiently that we think that these things are going simultaneously. There are
many studies online where you will find that people who multitask develop a short
attention span. They cannot concentrate on one task at a time for too long. Unlike
multitasking, being mindful is devoting 100% of your attention to the task at hand.
When you walk, you engage all your senses in this activity. All the senses contribute
to this activity and you feel more connected to this activity. It makes you focus better
and when this happens, it draws neural pathways to your brain and this creates a
strong memory.

Smog

Smoke + Fog creates smog. This is dangerous for every living being. We need only
fog, which makes us feel refreshed and happy. Practicing mindfulness will eliminate
other distractions.
To give an example, while going through a rough patch in life, if you keep listening to
a song, that song will be linked to sadness. Whenever you hear that song, you will feel
sad. A song is made up of beautifully harmonized 12 notes which give pleasure to the
ears and soul. It has nothing to do with you becoming sad. So to weed out this
sadness, listen to the song calmly. Notice each and every instrument. Differentiate
between acoustic, percussion, vocal, etc. Think about the harmony the artists are
portraying. You will enjoy the song 10000% times better and will eliminate all the
other unnecessary aspects from that moment.

Enjoyable

Mindfulness makes every task you do enjoyable. You come to know there are many
aspects which went unnoticed earlier. You see, feel so much of your surroundings that
you become one with it. When you play a game or watch a funny video, your brain
releases a dose of dopamine, which gives us a sense of happiness and pleasure. After
some time, we need extra doses of dopamine that simple tasks do not affect us
anymore. When you practice mindfulness this changes. You become more open and
content with the activity at hand. You become internally happy and external stimuli
are not needed for your happiness.

Gratitude

When you practice mindfulness, you see everything which is going on in the process.
You come to know many small things take place behind a general activity. Even while
lifting your hand, so many neural messages are passed through your brain and spine,
many muscles prepare to act for the achievement of this activity. This makes you calm
and grateful for everything in life. A sense of gratitude is invoked in you. There is a
quote, “If you desire something truly, the universe will conspire.” This also starts
making sense.

Overall, mindfulness makes you a better person. A healthy optimistic

part of society and more than anything, you yourself become
the person who you truly are meant to be.