5 Proven Tips for Mindful Living through Meditation

By Trina Basaysay

Do you often find yourself wishing for more hours in the day or longing for an escape from the everyday routine? If you are, then this is maybe what you need: to start living mindfully. Mindful living is about taking the time to slow down, appreciating life, and being intentional with your decisions and activities, to cite a few.   

You can reach that state of mindful living through several ways, one of which is via meditation that has been proven to help many people feel grounded in their body. If you’ve committed to leading a full life that is in touch with yourself, others, and your environment, then read on as we tackle 5 tips to help you get started with meditation for mindful living. 

Mindful Living: A Practice of Patience 

Mindful living is generally defined as an approach to life that encourages being aware of your thoughts, emotions, and actions in the present moment without any judgement. This heightened self-awareness  allows you to step back, observe your thoughts, and become conscious of your decisions and how these decisions impact both you and others.  

Here are some examples of how you can practise mindfulness in your daily routines: 

Mealtimes

Mindfulness makes you more aware of the sensations of hunger and fullness. By paying attention to these cues, you're more attuned to the needs of your body. You can make better choices about when and what to eat, or you may even identify your emotional triggers for eating. By being fully present and engaged in the act of eating, you can taste, smell, and experience your food in a more meaningful way.

Interactions

Being mindful during conversations means actively listening and paying attention to what is being said instead of allowing your mind to wander. One way to practice mindfulness is to set aside your phone and truly listen to what others are communicating.   

Exercising

When it comes to exercising, try to be present in each of your body's movements and sensations. Observe how a certain movement feels in each muscle group, not being distracted by thoughts that enter your mind or outside noise. You could also use mindfulness when stretching before or after your exercise, allowing yourself to feel every muscle as it stretches and contracts.

Walking

To practice mindfulness when walking, pay close attention to your body and your surroundings per step. Additionally, look around you as you walk to see others and your environment. 

Driving

Be aware of both your physical and mental states whilst driving. When stuck in traffic, instead of getting impatient, practice mindfulness by taking a deep breath and relaxing any tension in your body. Try looking outside your car to observe others as well. This will increase your connection and regain your calmness and balance. 

A mindful living practice requires consistency, effort, patience, and dedication for it to become part of your everyday life. It is here where meditation plays an important role. Through regular meditation, you can achieve an improved mental clarity and emotional balance as well as increased self-awareness  

The Art of Mindfulness   

Meditation such as breathing meditation, guided meditation, walking meditation, or even mantras or affirmations is an important aspect of a mindful living practice– being that it’s a powerful tool for changing the way you lead your life. It’s useful for shifting your awareness and learning how to stay in the present moment without criticism. 

Meditation Teacher Sharon Salzberg says patience is especially vital during meditation as it’s easy for the mind to wander. Citing as an example was her personal experience wherein she instantly lost focus on her meditation with just one breath. 

Combining meditation with mindfulness helps bring you back to the present moment. By paying close attention to your breath, you can connect with the physical sensations in your body so that you may recognize and understand what’s triggering your emotions and reactions to situations.

Mindfulness meditation brings about science-backed benefits such as:

      • Empathy

     • Strong memory

     • Reduced stress

     • Improved well-being

     • Self-compassion 

Neuroscientist Sara Lazar  documented that mindfulness meditation could impact the brain’s grey matter and brain regions associated not only with memory but emotions and the sense of self as well.  

Meditation for Mindful Living: 5 Steps to Begin

Before starting, take the time to ask yourself what you want out of mindfulness meditation practice. It could be that you’re aiming for more clarity or inner peace. Once you know your end goal, it becomes easier to find meditation techniques that fit. 

1. Begin with Smaller Sessions

When starting your journey into mindful living through meditation, try shorter sessions first. Even just 5 minutes can be beneficial. Working with your breathing or visualising happy memories, for instance, can quickly encourage relaxation. If sitting still for a short period may prove challenging for you, start by lying down and using props that make your body feel comfortable such as blankets. This encourages relaxation whilst also helping you to stay focused during meditation.

2. Check in with Your Emotions

Set reminders throughout the day to assess where you are on an emotional level. It’s important when practising mindfulness to stay conscious of how being present helps manage any mental strain. If negative feelings arise, they should be acknowledged instead of avoiding them to understand yourself better. The act of acknowledging how we are feeling allows us to work on doing some form of self-care. 

3. Add Movement to Your Meditation

Moving mindfully, such as walking, is a powerful tool to access deeper levels of self-awareness and remain present all at once. Guided meditations and mantra meditations contribute to enhancing your overall mindfulness. Coupled your activity with gratitude, especially if you find yourself stuck in negative emotions. 

4.  Choose a Comfortable Space 

Have an area where you feel comfortable and relaxed for your regular meditation practice. Additionally, choose to set aside your gadgets more frequently. 

According to Mindfulness expert Jane Bozier, a digital detox is important to leading a mindful life. Set a rule as to how long you can use your smartphones and other gadgets the whole day. Use your free time you have to check in on yourself, and resolve to be 100% focused on the activity at hand. 

5. Practice Self-Compassion  

Be patient with yourself as you practice meditation for mindful living. Practice self-compassion if there are moments when thoughts start drifting or distractions occur. Just gently guide your thoughts back to your breathing. 

Furthermore, to avoid monotony, which leads to boredom and laziness, try doing something new every day, no matter how mundane the activity might be. Patti Digh, author of “Life Is A Verb: 37 Days To Wake Up, Be Mindful And Live Intentionally,” suggests this might include trying out a new restaurant and purposely taking a wrong turn. Getting out of your routines makes you more excited, motivated, and inspired, enabling you to be more mindful of and intentional with your life.       

Conclusion

You don’t have to make drastic changes to start living more mindfully. Even making minor changes such as going out of the house more often and being mindful of your surroundings can be beneficial. By practising meditation to remain in the present moment, you start to relax and appreciate life more.