Mindfulness



Have you every heard the term “take time to smell the roses?” That is mindfulness. Our minds race, our minds are busy, depressed, anxious, suicidal at times, psychotic but sometimes we need to take a moment to breathe, mindfully breathe and just simple be present in the moment. Put a pause on life. Hit the breaks and say”hey, this moment is for me and only me.” I practice mindfulness daily. Mindfulness pretty much means being present in the moment but there is much more than that. For example mindful petting my emotional support dog. I breathe deeply close my eyes, play meditation music/yoga music and just pet him. I enjoy how the moment. I feel the moment and how much I love my dog. I practice mindfulness in the morning when I drink my coffee. Even as I pour the cream and mix the stevia I mindfully enjoy the moment before a busy day. I put a pause on my racing mind and all the things I have to do and say “hey this time is for Mari.” Right now I’m just going to sip and savor my cup of coffee!
At night I have lavender tea or cinnamon fennel tea. Lavender is good for stress and anxiety and it helps me sleep. I like cinnamon fennel because it helps with bloating after dinner. Sometimes I have ginger tea or cucumber lemon water. The reason I am sharing this is because I sip on my teas I breathe deeply and clear my mind  I just focus on my and the tea and how good it is. It is such an amazing experience. When I practice mindfulness with cucumber water I am present in the moment and feel refreshed and hydrated and mindfully breathe and feel ready to face my challenges. You can practice mindful walking too. In my condo we have a lot of ponds ducks and even swans so it is a nice place to mindfully walk  and enjoy beautiful peace and nature. With COVID-19 it is important to follow COVID-19 prevention so I practice social distancing and wear my mask and wash my hands. So take a moment now, we are in a COVID-19 pandemic and a lot of us are in fear. We need to practice our coping skills to keep us stable. We need to practice self-care, meditation, and mindfulness. In these moments we are extra anxious we need to take a moment and just mindfully breathe. There are great meditations and mindful breathing videos on yourube.How will you practice mindfulness today?

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