Monday, maybe this day is not one of your favorites, but never forget that everyday you wake up is an amazing gift and it’s up to you to make it count. Mindful Monday start the week off right. Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different. Enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes, which it will. Being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way, which it won’t People don’t realize that now is all there ever is, there is no past of future except as a memory or anticipation in your mind. Ways to practice mindfulness in your daily life, focus intently on the task at hand. Observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them. Take 5 minutes several times a day to close your eyes and breathe. Walk outside, close your eyes and listen to the sounds of nature. Notice when your mind is in the past or future, and gently return to the present. Meditation is not a way of making your mind quiet. It’s a way of entering the quiet. It’s a way of entering the quiet that’s already there buried under the 50,000 thoughts the average person thinks every day.

Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment non-judgmentally. De-clutter your mind by accepting what is, be kind to yourself. Release your guilt and fears. Let go of control and visualize what’s important to you. Focus on your life-force energy. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and find what doesn’t serve or interest you and let it go. Deep breathes are like little love notes to your body. The next time you start having a bad day, stop everything, and notice what you’ve been thinking. Bring yourself into the present moment. Touch the fabric on your clothes. Run your hand over a smooth surface. Breathe fully choose one thing to be grateful for. This simple process normalizes blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing and will turn a bad day into a good one. Your mind will always believe everything you tell it. Feed it faith, feed it truth and feed it with love. Do not lose yourself in the past. Do not lose yourself in the future. Do not get caught in your anger, worries, or fears. Come back to the present moment and touch life deeply. This is mindfulness.

Mindfulness is to pay attention in a particular way on purpose, at the present time and without judging. Just slow down, slow down your speech. Slow down your breathing, slow down your walking, slow down your eating and let this slower, steadier pace perfume your mind. Just slow down.Mindful people do things differently. They don’t believe their thoughts and they don’t take them all that seriously. They don’t try to avoid or deny emotions. They understand that all things come and go. They do one thing at a time. They turn everyday tasks into mindful moments. They practice being curious and they get outdoors and embrace the beauty of nature. They enjoy every bite when they eat and they slow down when reading and truly take the information in. They are fully present when listening without trying to control or judge. They take mini- breaks every hour or so when working or studying. They laugh at themselves and they focus on what they’re doing. They challenge existing beliefs and they nourish their bodies. Approach everyday things with curiosity and savor them. Forgive your mistakes, big or small.

Show gratitude for good moments and grace for bad ones. Practice compassion and nurture connections. Make peace with imperfection, inside and out.  Embrace vulnerability by trusting others and themselves. Accept and appreciate that things come and go. Stay mindful throughout your day by breath, connect with nature, learn to focus and eat well. Slow down, reset with breaks, let go of emotions, release and just stop. Connect with your senses. You are responsible for what you hold in your mind, not for what goes through it. Your goal is not to battle with the mind, but to witness the mind. Mindfulness practice means that we commit fully in each moment to be present inviting ourselves to interface with this moment in full awareness, with the intention to embody as best we can an orientation of calmness, mindfulness, and equanimity right here and right now. I keep my mind focused on peace, harmony, health, love and abundance. Then, I can’t be distracted by doubt, anxiety, or fear. So be mindful in all that you do.

-Retro Rebel Girl