Mindful Moments
“In today’s rush, we all think too much — seek too much — want too much — and forget about the joy of just being” (Eckhart Tolle).
I think this quote sums up many of our lives quite succinctly. I do love how it reminds us of the importance of being more present and in the moment in our every day lives, which in essence can also be interpreted as being more mindful.
Mindfulness is defined as, “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.”
Slowing down and becoming more mindful is something that I am trying to practice more regularly with my son.
When exploring the topic of mindfulness, there are so many amazing benefits to be found that both ourselves and our children can enjoy from taking some mindful moments together.
Practicing mindfulness regularly with our children can help them to become more aware little beings with a greater understanding of their emotions. This clarity of understanding can then help them to become more equipped to cope better when challenging times arise.
Mindfulness can also help to lower stress levels and improve wellbeing among many other things, which is something we can all do with in our busy and hectic lives.
Mindfulness can be enjoyed through many different activities. For my son and I, gardening is our special mindful time together.
Being in the moment, with our hands gently turning and preparing the cool soil for planting helps to ground and connect us to the earth. With this connection we enjoy a joint but yet unspoken focus on the task at hand, each concentrating on the seeds we are going to sow and the plants we are growing together that we will both nurture and watch slowly come to life.
In these moments there is nothing else to think or worry about. Going through the motions of gardening offers the mind an opportunity to slow and encourages our children to regularly take moments to pause and focus on the present which in turn will help them to develop more of an awareness of what is happening around them.
You could even try to incorporate some very simple mindful breathing techniques while you garden together. It can be as easy as counting each breath, even if it is just counting to five, helping your child to become aware of their breath and how it works to calm and centre them is another wonderful tool they can use when confronted in stressful moments.
Putting aside some time, even if it is only once a week is a great step in the right direction to enjoying the many wonderful benefits mindful activities have to offer. Evolving into more mindful beings while also raising aware, mindful and resilient children is also pretty special too.
Why not try it today? And if you do, I’d love to hear how it went and what worked well for you and your little people. As a thank you for sharing we will be randomly selecting and sending out up to 10 seed packets to help with the journey!
Lisa x