It happened out of no where, and came on so suddenly i felt as though i had been thrown on my ass. Thoughts. Thoughts about the future, thoughts about what i was not accomplishing and what i could not do. Thoughts about how horrible of a person i was and what my future would hold.
Thoughts full of fear and ego.
Luckily i have a patient and even minded partner who brought me back to reality. Back to the present moment. Otherwise i could have gone on a whirlwind spiral downward into a negative thinking abyss.
The reality is that none of these thoughts were actually happening in the moment, yet all of them were impacting my mood, my motivation, my relationships… my health. This is exactly why mindfulness and meditation practice are so important to my overall mental wellness. The practice of mindfulness helps me notice, observe and become more present.
i get questions all the time about mindfulness practice. People tell me all the time that they are not doing it right and that they cannot "clear their mind.” To me, that is not exactly what it is all about. To me, it is about being present and not worrying about what is happening in the future, and not criticizing myself for things i could have done 103 ways differently in the past. Mindfulness is about becoming aware and not necessarily impacted by all the static of life. The practice of mindfulness allows me to approach life from a vibe that is more workable because if my mind is in a negative place, so is my energy.
i invite you to try it out, just notice. Here is a quick practices of being aware and mindful:
notice outward
Look around you: what are 5 things that you see? Just observe. Notice. Do not do anything about it or change what you notice.
notice inward
Close your eyes: what are four things you can feel? three things you can hear? two things you can smell? one thing you can taste?
Just notice. Do not try to shift or change what you became of aware of. Just observe.
breathe in. and breathe out.
slowly open your eyes.