We are all exposed to stress.

There are several stress factors that are actually healthy and beneficial, but the problem arises when we become out of balance and remain in these fight-or-flight high-stress modes for the majority of our daily activities.

That means our bodies are not getting enough rest, and we’re not living in the present moment. It takes some attention to be mindful and present, and that is what mindfulness practice is all about.

Mindfulness can be practiced in a variety of ways.

Here are three ways for becoming more mindful and using mindfulness to reduce stress:

Eating mindfully

Sometimes we get into the habit of just rushing to eat, we begin multitasking by checking our phones, watching TV and doing a lot of things while eating and we don’t really taste our food. We just eat it for the sake of eating to get some fuel for our bodies.  The problem is that you’re not really enjoying the flavors and experience of eating, you’re not really nourishing yourself; you’re just getting the fuel.

We can digest, enjoy, and embrace all of the different flavors and absorb more nutrition when we engage ourselves to be mindful, and to be more alert and present. Eating mindfully is one of the most effective ways to begin practicing mindfulness. When we begin to live in the present moment, we can enjoy our meals and the people whom we eat with.

Moving mindfully

This goes hand in hand with eating mindfully. When moving your body, you want to feel every step you take. Begin to observe your surroundings. Start to pay attention to your breathing pattern where you are walking and just be in the present moment. You will begin to feel more connected to your body as you move in this mindful way.

Concentrate on your breathing

It is absolutely essential to pay attention to your breathing. There are numerous ways to breathe. Observing your breath is one of the best ways to get connected to yourself.

In some ways, practicing mindfulness is similar to meditation as you start to concentrate on your breathing. When you start observing your breath, you can notice right away if you are making a connection. On the contrary, when we are stressed or afraid, our breath tends to become shallow.

If you begin to notice it, you will be able to breathe deeper into your belly and deeper into your body. This will help you to be more mindful, which will help you to reduce stress.

Everything we do, such as bringing the mind more consciously and bringing more awareness to whatever we are doing, will help trigger our nervous system in a way that will help us bring our energy and relax.

That’s when the real healing takes place, and the stress begins to melt away.

Best,

Dr. Asha Prasad
Follow on Facebook
Follow on Instagram
Get Started