Sensational You

Editor’s Note: MOXY cares about mindfulness because it is a practice that can bring about positive change in your personal and professional lives. Take for instance the emphasis on safety cultures on job sites. Mindfulness, or being in the moment — being fully present with your equipment, your crew, your tasks at hand — can mean the difference between a safe move and a fatal or injurious one.

We practiced rain or shine. But it was more frequently rain during autumn in the Pacific Northwest.

Until I got contacts, I was constantly stopping to wipe my glasses just so I could see the field and the ball. I was never a star player and scored a goal once in my more than a decade of playing soccer. Despite these challenges, I still practiced and played recreational soccer through my senior year of high school. I enjoyed being outside and working with a team. Even on those dark rainy nights of after school practice, I loved coming home to take a warm shower, make a bowl of pasta, and sit down to do my homework (another form of practice).

It’s easy to forget how I much I practiced when growing up — soccer, piano, dance, theater, and school. At the same time, I was practicing how to communicate effectively, work with others, and take care of myself. When I entered the “real world,” my expectations about learning and growing changed. I no longer had regular, structured periods of practice, but I still encountered new experiences and challenges that required new skills that I could only successfully learn through practice.

Growing a mindfulness practice is a similar process. We have to learn what it means and then practice to see change.

A few different ways to practice mindfulness are detailed below; however, this list is by no means the limit to a practice. The best way to start is to find something that feels most appropriate to you and begin your journey through experimentation. 

If you’re not sure where to start, a seated meditation is a great way to begin. This will introduce you to mindfulness practices with fewer potential distractions and best teach what it feels like to be present, release judgment, and grow your awareness.

Meditation

Meditations involve finding a focal point and simply noticing. We practice noticing and releasing when our minds wander without judgment. That focal point can be our breath, sensations in our body or in the world around us, or an open awareness to passing thoughts and feelings. 

There are many kinds of meditations including breathing meditations, walking mediations, eating meditations, body scans, loving kindness meditations, and mindful meditations. We can meditate by staying still sitting or lying down or moving during walks or exercise.

Gratitude

A gratitude practice helps reframe our thoughts to notice the positive. The best way to start is to set aside a few minutes for reflection on a regular basis. Writing down your gratitude will solidify and reinforce your practice. Two easy questions to ask yourself: What are you grateful for today? What would make today great? The more specific you can be in your answers, the better! Try to think of this as space to set intentions for your day rather than building a to do list. You can also practice meditations focused on gratitude.

Mindfulness in daily activities

Another great way to grow a mindfulness practice is to invite being present into your normal daily activities such as brushing your teeth, washing your dishes, walking your dog, or eating meals. In this practice, all you have to do is notice the sensations of your chosen activity exactly as they are. You can start by walking through your senses: What can you see?, feel?, smell?, hear?, or taste? The key to these observations is just that – to observe the sensations as facts noticing how they may stay the same or change over the course of your activity. If your mind wanders to your to-do list or judgments, all you have to do is notice that your mind has wandered, release the thought, and invite your awareness back to the sensations in the moment.

Mindfulness at work

You can also invite a mindfulness practice into your work day by pausing at transitions (when you start and end your day, finish a meeting, start and end a break/lunch, etc.) to re-center through stopping to breathe or notice sensations. Mindfulness can also be incorporated into your interactions through active listening and incorporating an open awareness without judgment during communications and conflicts.

The key to growing a mindfulness practice is patience. Remember that you are learning something new and every time may not feel the same. With a regular practice, you will begin to see the benefits on your mental health, relationships with friends, family, and coworkers as a team members or leader, and your work through increased creativity, focus, and collaboration.

About the author: Elyssa Dixon, P.E., is a mindfulness and meditation coach, and founder of fleeceandforests LLC. Read more about her here.