A Mindful Summer – Breathing in, breahthing out…

Breathing in, I am aware of my whole body. Breathing out, I smile with my whole body.

I did this page in my writing diary yesterday. It’s about what I want this summer, what I’m going after and sending out. Mindfulness is my new mantra and I try to grasp it’s concept.

MINDFUL is an adjective;

1. Tending toward awareness and appreciation: conscious, heedful, observant.

2. Cautiously attentive: careful, heedful, observant, watchful.

It is just a word, right? But to me it is the Super Power above all. I think it’s a beautiful word. I love the feeling of being mindful because it transforms me into the person I want to be. It makes me see and feel more of everything, it makes me embrace all of it. It’s easy to be but hard to sustain.

In Buddhism it plays a central role as mindfulness also is a technique in which a person becomes intentionally aware of his or her thoughts and actions in the Present Moment, non-judgmentally. While I try to become more Mindful I practice meditation and have done so for the past couple of weeks. I hereby pledge to continue through the summer and beyond!

Have you decided what your summer will be about yet? Do a page in your journal to find out what is important to you.

Right mindfulness (often also termed Right meditation) involves bringing one’s awareness back (i.e. from the past or the future) into the present moment. By residing more frequently in the present moment, practitioners begin to see both inner and outer aspects of reality. Inner reality may unfold as one sees that the mind is continually chattering with commentary or judgment. By noticing that the mind is continually making commentary, one has the ability to carefully notice those thoughts, and then decide if those thoughts have value. Those practicing mindfulness realize that “thoughts are just thoughts”; the thoughts themselves have little or no weight. One is free to release a thought (“let it go”) when one realizes that the thought may not be concrete reality or absolute truth. Thus, one is free to observe life without getting caught in the commentary. Many “voices” or messages may speak to one within the “vocal” mind. It is important to be aware that the messages one hears during “thinking” may not be accurate or helpful, but rather may be translations of, or departures from truth.

As one more closely observes inner reality, one finds that happiness is not exclusively a quality brought about by a change in outer circumstances, but rather by realizing happiness often starts with loosening and releasing attachment to thoughts, pre-dispositions, and “scripts”; thereby releasing “automatic” reactions toward pleasant and unpleasant situations or feelings. [via answers]

If you want to get started right now, here are some help:
* Take a Deep Breath – article on easy mindfulness
* Relaxation & Meditation Timer – set the timer and sit still for a while and listen to music while breathing in and out, in and out, in and…

To me creativity and meditation/mindfulness goes hand in hand. I never get as much ideas as I do when I try not to think about anything. I would like to read more about this as I think it is interesting. If you have any books, articles or links to share, please do so!