Mindfulness is so hot right now. The proof is in the hashtags. Search #mindfulness on Instagram, and you’ll find over 10 million photos of motivational quotes, serene nature shots, and photogenic yogis. For context, that’s 2.5 million more posts than you’ll find for #greenjuice.
We get the concept of mindfulness on a broad level, but lately, we’ve been feeling called to examine the idea on a deeper level. And while trendy does not always equal worthwhile, in this instance, we think there’s something powerful behind the movement to examine your state of mind. W on a broad level, what does it mean? What does it look like in practice? Why does it matter?
To help us take on these questions, we reached out to Shiva Rose, wellness guru and creator of the all-natural skincare line Shiva Rose Beauty. Read on to learn mindfulness and how it can shape your life.
Defining Mindfulness
For Rose, mindfulness is simple: “It’s complete one-mindedness.” Not exactly sure what that means. She explains: “Every action that you’re doing, you’re focusing on that one action. Whether tying your shoes or looking at the sky, anything is taking a moment from your busy life and just being present.”
“In these fast-paced times we live in right now, many people are losing touch with their inner voice, their soul, their intuition, their guide, their compass,” Rose says. “Mindfulness is taking time to tune in, slow down, and start getting a connection to your higher self.”
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Establishing a Daily Practice
Connecting to our higher selves sounds rather lovely. How do we do that? According to Rose, you must retrain your mind from scrambled to singular. She recommends beginning a daily practice that will establish a sense of calm and quiet in your mind. “Nowadays, we’re such multitaskers, which is amazing because we’re getting so much done, but on the other hand, it’s splitting us.”
Need ideas? That’s where your daily practice comes in. Rose suggests choosing something that brings you entirely into the moment and demands your full mind. “Yoga, meditation, tea ceremony, gardening, or knitting” came to mind for Rose. No matter what you do, keep the end goals in mind: to quiet your mind, listen to your intuition, and remain present in your singular action. Once you’re committed to your daily practice, this presence and one-mindedness technique “will eventually overflow into your life. Everything you start doing will have intention,” Rose says.
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Checking Yourself in Stressful Moments
While your daily practice will help you remember to remain mindful throughout the day, you might run into some speed bumps along the way. If you do, Rose has two techniques that get her through challenges.
First, “breath is life, and breath connects us to our spirit—not our monkey mind. She says that breathing through the nose has been proven to calm the nervous system, get you out of fight-or-flight, and change your body chemistry,” she says.
If that’s not enough, you might want to take your shoes off—seriously. “Walking barefoot can be a wonderful way for people to get energy from the earth. I like feeling the earth beneath my feet—that gets me grounded,” Rose suggests.
#Mindfulness has a much richer meaning now. Let us know how you practice mindfulness in your daily routine by joining the conversation in our Facebook group.
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Next up: The Daily Mental Health Habit That Makes a Big Difference
This post was originally published earlier and has since been updated.
This article originally appeared in The Thirty
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