9 Mindfulness Rituals to Make Your Day Better

“Smile, breathe and go slowly.” - Thich Nhat Hanh, Zen Buddhist monk

Are you simply moving through your day, without fully living?

I did this for many years. It was as if life were just passing by, and I was waiting for something to happen. I always felt like I was preparing for something later.

But today isn’t preparation for tomorrow. Today’s the main event.

Fully live today by being mindful. I realize this is easier said than done — mindfulness is a habit that’s not easily picked up. And so I’ve decided to share with you some of my favorite mindfulness rituals to help you appreciate every moment.

You don’t need to do all of these, but give a few of them a try to see if they make your day better.

Ritual isn’t about doing a routine mindlessly. It’s a way of building something good into your life, so that you don’t forget what’s important. Done mindfully, a ritual can remind you to be conscious. Done mindlessly, a ritual is meaningless.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Sit in the morning. When you wake up, in the quiet of the morning, perhaps as your coffee is brewing, get a small cushion and sit on the floor. I will often use this opportunity to stretch, as I am very inflexible. I feel every muscle in my body, and it is like I am slowly awakening to the day. I’ll also just sit, and focus on my breathing going in and out. I’m an absolute beginner when it comes to meditation, but this always starts my day right.

2. Brush your teeth. I assume we all brush our teeth, but often we do it while thinking of other things. Try fully concentrating on the action of brushing, on each stroke of each tooth, going from one side of the mouth to the other. You end up doing a better job, and it helps you realize how much we do on autopilot.

3. Eat mindfully. Turn off the TV, put away the computer and mobile devices, even put away the book or newspaper. If you eat with any of these things (most people do), eating without them will seem boring. And yet, unless you do this, you are not truly appreciating your food. I like eating my oats (with nuts and berries — see my diet) mindfully, paying attention to each bite. It makes the food taste better, and I eat slowly and with gratefulness.

4. Wash your bowl. When you’re done eating, wash your dish immediately. Do it while paying full attention to your washing, to the water and suds. Read more.

5. Drink tea. There’s something ancient about the tea ceremony — and when you drink tea as a mindfulness ritual, you’re connecting with millions of others who have done so over the centuries. Make your own tea ceremony — prepare the tea carefully and mindfully, pour it slowly, sip it with thoughtfulness. See if you can set aside one time each day to do this, and it will transform your day.

6. Walk slowly. I like to take breaks from work, and go outside for a little walk. Walk slowly, each step a practice in awareness. Pay attention to your breathing, to everything around you, to the sounds and light and texture of objects.

7. Read in silence. Find a quiet time (mornings or evenings are great for me), and a quiet spot, and read a good novel. Have no television or computers on nearby, and just immerse yourself in the world of the novel. It might seem contradictory to let your mind move from the present into the time of the novel, but it’s a great practice in focus. Also, I love a good novel more than almost anything else.

8. Look at someone gratefully. Each day, find someone you care about. Instead of just seeing what you always see, really look at the person. Try not to do it creepily. See this person for the miracle that she is, and be grateful for her existence. If you’re feeling generous, tell that person how thankful you are for her.

9. Work with focus. Start your workday by choosing one task that will make a big difference in your work, and clearing everything else away. Just do that one task, and don’t switch to other tasks. Single-tasking is a great way to find focus. Increase your Monk Mind.

These rituals aren’t the only time you should be mindful, but they’re great reminders. Today, try a few of them to fully live and fully appreciate this wonderful day.

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Tweetness & light

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Why Passion is Better Than Anger

Earlier this year I know that I was just not happy with the direction of the had been taking my life. This article is based on my personal experience of going through a coaching program aimed at changing the beliefs that your personal development. After I started with the application of the principles it literally changed my view of the universe.

I am a 51 year old spina bifida turned off. I was one of the first patients the bailout that allowed me to live in today. When I was born my doctors said I wouldn't walk, talk, consistently thinking – in fact, I have a "plant". Well my parents ignored and treated me like a State bodied child. I was potty trained, it only took longer, my mother walked four miles a day to get me my right leg and, at the end of the physical therapy.My left leg and has never been done at the age of 37 I decided to give it amputated below the knee. This is a positive move on my part and with my artificial limbs my mobility have been greatly improved.

I got went to the University, drunk, and screamed and rose up like any other teenager.I have my mother's advice and got a secure job with the Church and eventually moved up the ranks, the head of product support for Manchester City Galleries. by that time had I met my wife Nancy via America Online (AOL), proposed that its online after 2 months and I flew to Los Angeles to comply with its 4 months later and we got married 4 May 1996 in Las Vegas. So here a picture of a man who when he decides that he wants something he goes and gets it, and most of the time was successful.

Why is this feeling of earlier this year I was a failure? I must point out in the last 5 years my health was inexplicable worsened.So much so I was a misdiagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy, shingles and neurological aches and was taken into the care of one of the top Neurologists in the country – which in my case described as bizarre.

Then came the turning point, I saw two films, the secret and What The Bleep Do We Know and the work of Dr. Emoto and Gary Craig developer of a self healing technique called EFT (emotional freedom technique) to read. Soon I realized that I needed to get me some coaching to achieve what I was reading. reading is one thing, but action is what all sources said.

Now we come to the central point of my life and the reason for the title of this article. My coach immediately helped me realize that my deteriorating health can be tracked on a single event-my losing my post as head of support services with Manchester City Galleries. for the sake of clarity, I still had a job, the same amount of money was spent, but my emotions about how that event has happened in my life.

I bad mouth certain people for everyone who would listen, I attracted other dis-affected people who have their messages will be lost and we already have enough of each other's negativity. then I decided that negative energy in my work as a lawyer for workers with disabilities in the Council.So I was looking for active battles I knew I could win and my opponent to belittle.I had a negative energy attractor that contains the link to a real accurate lob missiles.

My coach challenged my core belief at the time was that "all people with disabilities are discriminated against."I was working on the principle if something went bad in my life was because I was turned off. my conscious mind me with a nice safe get out.

She asked me to do the following when someone a statement where I could feel anger rise-stop and say to myself "is not so interesting?".So stop with myself for an immediate decisions on the basis of my negative energy. easily observe the instructions and then respond on the basis of observation instead of anger.

Well the first time I did this I was surprised, my anger is gone, and I responded by taking a stand with passion rather than anger. I had the energy, but it still for the other person, as opposed to what they were doing was in the positives channeling wrong. to my surprise, people who previously immediately said both sides of the paper "against me" excellent ideas and applied to be examined seriously as soon as possible.

Finally, I have been working with your counterparts, peers, and reach more genuine change in the four months of taking a position than four years of fighting. a stand not passively and is actually harder than getting upset, but to use that energy and channelling the creation of a situation works. Since then my health has improved, I have 1 tenth the nonworking days work sick, I have dropped from 10 per day to 3 drugs and drug-free 5 months will be and I'm in a day job-Project Management, which I am passionate about it, well received and make a real difference to the work so trumps Passion Anger every time.

Andrew Peel is the owner of APeel Solutions, an Internet Direct Marketing Consultancy specialized in solutions for customers who have the possibility to achieve financial freedom.

Andrew Peel
APeel Solutions
Follow me: at http://twitter.com/andrew_peel Blog: http://www.apeel-solutionsblog.info