3 Keys to Bringing Depth to Your Mindfulness Practice

You are most likely a healthy adult who is responsible enough to take care of your relationships, finances and prepare for your future. You are surrounded by people in your life who provide you with the care and support that you need, and you enjoy doing different things both for work and for pleasure. 

But are you happy?

As it turns out, even with this incredibly beautiful life scenario, there is probably still a part of you that struggles with anxiety, frustration, stress, and anger. Life can sometimes be overwhelming and frustrating even though you take a breath and see that you have what you need. All of these feelings, combined together, can make you feel habitually uneasy. 

So how do you go about life to find that sense of peace from within?

Be mindful and meditate. 

Morning meditation is a great way to help you start your day with the right mindset. Although some people may choose to perform their mindfulness activities at night after a full day of work, mindfulness activities, no matter what time of day, can do you and your body good. 

Mindfulness is Key

There is no one solution to everything, but practicing different steps towards mindfulness will show you the way. Stop and listen to what your heart wants to say. It is always the troubled mind that puts you in a position of worry and negativity. When you engage in meditation, you can be confident that you are giving yourself the gift of calmness and peace from within. 

Spiritual meditation isn't a magical pill that will solve all your problems. But it doesn’t hurt if you can believe that it can help you become a better individual. When you can achieve inner peace, you have the power to be anything you want to be. 

Have you tried practicing mediation every day? Perhaps you haven't given it a single thought. Maybe it has crossed your mind a couple of times in the past, but you haven’t really given it your full commitment. Now it may be your chance to do so. 

One of the goals of meditation is to deepen your connection to yourself. All you need is to begin and stay committed. Embrace meditation as a powerful tool that you can use to break free from life’s troubles. 

Take on that inner-mindfulness retreat with these three simple yet amazing steps.

Step 1: Be in the Moment. The World can Wait.

Your thoughts may often be tied up with everyone else's problems or your own stresses. For example, you could be caught up in your responsibilities to your family, your friends, and your work. Very little of your time is dedicated to thinking about yourself and your needs. You are stuck in the movie in your mind, where the narrative does not revolve around you. It is not surprising that you are unhappy, disappointed, and frustrated at times.

So, to get yourself deeper into a mindfulness practice, sit or lay down, and drop everything else. Do not think about this moment. Instead, be in this moment and revel in it. Feel the sensations happening in your body. Did your breathing relax a bit? Can you feel your body getting lighter? Do you feel the sensations on your skin you've never felt before? All of these are signs that you are in the moment and practicing mindfulness. If this is difficult for you, you can try visualization meditations or guided meditations.

Whenever you feel like you are lost in an anxious narrative, depressive thoughts, or negative fantasies, direct yourself to the NOW. Go through the experience and enjoy it, whether it’s your first time or you’ve been through it before. Allow yourself to be curious, observant, and take notice of what is around you. 

Practice this for a week and you'll start seeing the results. 

Step 2: Embrace the Experience. It is a Gift.

After dropping everything and putting yourself into the moment, stop and try to direct yourself to an experience. Instead of focusing on being an observer, allow yourself to feel the emotions of happiness, gentleness, and kindness. 

"Love" and other emotions aren't just words, but feelings and actions. That’s why it’s important to ask yourself when was the last time you actually felt love or other emotions? All these sensitivities can be felt during and after meditation. While this may sound overwhelming, and perhaps frightening, meditation does not just drop you into space where you have to feel everything all at once. Rather, it allows you to embrace and accept them, which helps you recognize how important it is to live a full life. 

For example, while walking to work, you notice that there is a quiet person seated across the street and you are drawn to starting a conversation. Normally, you wouldn't care and continue walking by. But in the practice of mindfulness meditation, you may find that you have the courage to pause and say a friendly hello. 

Yet, it was not a full conversation. At least not yet. But soon, through practice, you would be able to find it in you to engage in an actual conversation. You will enjoy the experience, more so the feeling of being connected to someone you barely know. It is like finding yourself in others. It will feel good. Don’t worry. You will get there. 

In some way, direct experiences can bring warmth and comfort to you. It will allow you to discover a part of yourself you never thought you had. Embrace the feeling as if it were a guest you are welcoming in your home for the first time. Allow it to linger. 

It is in the practice of direct experience that you are able to allow yourself to be aware of how you feel inside. Practice this and feel the difference. 

The feeling may be new, but it is good. 

Step 3: Refocus the Self for Motivation.

You are now grounded in the reality that you can be in control of your life. You are more open to conversations with fewer constraints. As you move further, you will notice that a part of you is letting go of being self-centered. It is being replaced by someone who is motivated to experience both the gains and the losses.

This might sound a little bit odd, but the concept is easy to understand. For example, you want someone to praise you for what you do because that will give you the feeling that you’ve gained something from it. When they don’t, you feel like you’ve lost something you deserve. All these are real feelings, but they don’t have to end at a loss. 

When you don’t get something you expect, stop and take note of it, but don’t make it last any longer. Instead, let it fuel your desire to be better. Help yourself to grow from that loss.

Meditation Can Help You, Now

You can never go wrong when you allow yourself the freedom to enjoy the benefits of mediation. Mindful living is all about knowing what matters the most to your heart and soul and letting go of everything else.

Negative feelings of hatred and distrust should never overpower your will to do good - especially for yourself. Be the better person in everything. Practice mindful meditation and put yourself in a better place.