We need to remember that mindfulness is not about getting rid of thoughts but about not allowing them to control you. It is not about relaxing; but, it will make you relax more. Mindfulness allows us to recognise feelings without getting caught up in the emotion of feelings and living more in the moment rather than fretting about the past or future.
Time for a Drink
Millions of cups of coffee and tea are made around the world every day. Most of the time they are quickly made and drunk with little or no awareness. This is one of those everyday activities that you can use to develop your mindfulness.
– Make your coffee or tea as normal.
– Sit down with your beverage and allow yourself to be aware of at least the first minutes of drinking.
– Take a deep breath of the steam coming from your drink. Take in the aroma.
– Look at your drink. What colour is it? How does the surface of the drink look?
– Take a sip. Allow the sip to linger in the mouth. Notice the warmth of the liquid against your tongue, cheeks, gums and palate. What can you taste? Is there a sweetness, bitterness, acidic or even slightly salty taste?
– Continue to be mindful of each sip; allowing yourself to be in the very present moment of drinking.
- Note: If other thoughts begin to drift into your mind as you are contemplating your drink, acknowledge the thought without judgement, congratulate yourself for noticing the random thought and allow the thought to float away. Refocus on the task at hand.
Make a mental note about this #mindfulmoment and congratulate yourself for being in the present.
Repeat each time you have a coffee or tea today.
Share your experiences here on the blog or on Twitter @Ed_Tmprince #MonthOfMindfulness .
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