Many of us wish we could be more present, more fully engaged with each moment. That’s basically what mindfulness is all about: Learning to just be, without the need to react or to feel overwhelmed by whatever’s going on around you.
While mindfulness can sound great in theory, actually getting started with a mindfulness practice may seem daunting. It doesn’t have to be! In this post, we’ll share a few of our tips for developing a mindfulness practice of your own. Even if this is somewhat outside your comfort zone, we hope you’ll find these tips to be practical and accessible.
Starting a Mindfulness Practice
1) Set aside some time.
To get started with mindfulness, it’s not necessary for you to invest in a lot of fancy equipment. You don’t even need a yoga mat or a medication cushion. The one thing you really do need is time. Set aside five or 10 minutes each day to be really intentional in your mindfulness practice.
A few guidelines:
- It’s okay to start with a short span of time and build your way up to longer sessions as you gain more familiarity with mindfulness practice.
- Initially, you may want to plan for just one mindfulness session per day. Later, try incorporating mindfulness throughout your day, including sessions in the morning and in the evening.
- To begin with, try to find the time of day when you’ll feel the least rushed, distracted, or exhausted.
2) Observe the moment.
Mindfulness is all about inhabiting the present moment, emptying your mind of any distractions or worries about the future. That’s easier said than done, but there are some practical methods you can attempt in order to center yourself. Try focusing on your breaths. Another option is to simply tune into your five senses, really focusing on what you’re experiencing in the moment.
3) Refrain from judgment.
The point of mindfulness is to just be. That means observing without judgment. Again, easier said than done! As you get started, remind yourself that it’s okay to make mental notes of what you think and feel, but try not to react too strongly. Let judgments roll right off you. This takes practice, but it is possible.
4) Be kind to yourself.
Even the most experienced practitioners of mindfulness may find that their thoughts drift into judgment, worry, or distraction. Mindfulness isn’t about getting things perfect, so don’t beat yourself up. Instead, when you realize that you’re no longer fully engaged in the moment, recenter yourself, returning to counting breaths or engaging your senses.
5) Be comfortable.
On a more practical level, you may wonder about the posture and position of mindfulness. It’s really up to you. Be comfortable and relaxed, though not so much that you drift to sleep. Simply sitting on the floor, or on a soft pillow, can be great. Adopting a kneeling or prayerful position is totally fine, especially if you desire your mindfulness practice to have a religious component. Some people find it easiest to practice mindfulness when walking through the woods, a park, or the neighborhood.
6) Try CBD.
You certainly don’t have to use CBD to have a meaningful mindfulness routine. With that said, there are many people who find CBD to be calming and focusing, making it a bit easier to tune out the world around you. It may be something you’d like to consider incorporating into your mindfulness practice, especially if you find it difficult to be still and focused.
7) Consider apps.
Another tool that might help you: A smartphone app that leads you through breathing exercises or other mindfulness-enhancing routines. Again, you don’t have to use an app. But if you feel like you need guidance, there are plenty of them, along with YouTube videos, that may be worth exploring.
Start Practicing Mindfulness Today
To start a mindfulness routine, you don’t need much more than good intentions, a basic strategy, and a few minutes set aside each day. Of course, you may also want to try CBD. If so, then we invite you to explore our inventory of natural, holistic CBD products, all made in the USA. And if you have any questions or need a specific recommendation, reach out to Asé Pure Naturals directly.
