Being Mindful On and Off the Mat

Mindfulness. What a buzz word right now, am I right? But I dig it, busy lady. And more importantly, it works.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, the founder of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) defined Mindfulness as, “the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.”

He said, “That sounds pretty simple… but actually when we start paying attention to how much we pay attention, half of the time our minds are all over the place and we have a very hard time sustaining attention.”

I mean, be honest with me mama, when’s the last time you weren’t thinking of a thousand things at one time?

We absolutely love multi-tasking! It makes us feel efficient, productive, and important! But think about it – when a college student doesn’t remember a single thing from the lecture she just sat through because her mind is focused on 100 other things, it’s a complete waste. None of those worries could be fixed during that class time anyway.

Or what about when you can’t fall asleep at night because you keep popping up to write more things on your to-do list for the next day? When you wake up, you’re tired the entire day. And guess what? None of those things you were so anxious to write down get done to the best of your ability, because you’re not at your best when you don’t get enough sleep.

Becoming mindful doesn’t just happen overnight, lovely. It’s like anything else in life… it takes practice. When I step onto my yoga mat I want to feel how heavy my body is standing on two feet. Even though I stand up on them everyday, it’s not until I arrive on my mat that I notice how it feels. Somedays I feel weightless, and other days I think I’m better off never leaving savasana.

If you’re one of my students in a class, I want you to notice how your body has changed within the last day, week, or month. Can you become aware of how much deeper you can enter into a pose? Or maybe acknowledge that some life stressors have manifested themselves physically, holding you back from certain shapes? Notice it; acknowledge it; forgive yourself; and move on.

Stepping onto your yoga mat is your escape from the outside world, but when you practice mindfulness on your mat with your body and your breath, it carries over to your real life. Has yoga helped you deal with stress off the mat? Tell us about your breakthrough moments below, let’s support each other!

The transformation in my life really started to occur when I could take that same level of mindfulness off my mat, and with me throughout my everyday life.

There are thousands of lists and articles out there that can preach about mindfulness, but these are the four simple things that I’ve done over the last four years that changed everything. I do them still, every day.

1. Ride the bus.

Okay, already I’ve lied to you. I don’t do this every day. But I do take the bus often, and when I do there are no headphones, no cell phone, no books or newspapers. It’s just me and every other person using public transportation. It’s awesome.

If I get a window seat, I acknowledge the change in season from the trees outside. If I’m in the middle, I acknowledge the sound of different accents and languages from other riders. You just become aware of who else is in your life at that moment, people that you know nothing about.

You might call this “people watching”, but that sounds creepier and we’re cutting out all judgement here folks.

2. Take a walk.

Go with your phone in your pocket (because hey, there could be an emergency and you’ll need it!), but don’t look at it. Notice what the sun or wind feels like on your busy lady skin. Smell the flowers from the gardens or the grease from the local bar. Become aware of the speed at which you walk and what streets you are drawn towards to walk down.

My husband likes to say he’s “eating new pac man dots” and tries to find a new alley or street everytime we walk together.

The point is; pay attention, and get outside.

3. Sit Down. Shut Up.

I recently had the privilege of taking a yoga class from one of my first teachers, and about ¾ of the way through class she told us to just take a seat.

“Sometimes the word meditation can be intimidating,” she said, “so sometimes, I just sit down, and shut up.”

Maybe it’s cold or raining outside, or you can’t escape your workplace (or family), so just sit, mama. And for a few moments acknowledge that you are breathing. That’s it. Stop thinking a million miles a minute, and just be.

We want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite spot to just “sit and shut up”? Share your secret sanctuary in the comments – your idea might help another woman find her peace!

4. Adopt a pet.

I am so serious! Getting our puppy about a year ago was one of the best practices of mindfulness! Okay, so maybe you can’t have pets with your current living situation, but you can go to the shelter and love on them. Volunteer with them. Or just go to a dog park (which all may actually be better because then you don’t have to do the whole potty-training / eating your favorite shoes ordeal).

Animals find pleasure in the simplest of things and it, in turn, helps you find joy in their simple pleasures. Because it’s all about the little things anyway, right?

We Want to Hear From You!
What’s one small thing you’re going to do today to be more present? Share your commitment in the comments below! Let’s support each other in living our best, most mindful lives. You got this, beautiful!