“Habits allow us to not think about what we’re doing….giving us the illusion of ease. When we are under the illusion of ease, breathing the same old way, moving the same old way, thinking the same old way, we check out of the present, out of happiness itself.”
Alex Levin
Perhaps you like countless others, have some goals set for the new year. Maybe there are some things you would like to”fix” about yourself. Or you might have something you’re “working on”. Maybe your think to yourself “if I just fix this (lose weight, become more patient, be less critical etc), then I’ll be ok”.
You may have already slipped in your good intentions. Our habits are so ingrained in us, both the positive and the not so positive. Mindfulness is a wonderful tool that can help us to transcend the powerful pull of that comfortable habit that we have acquired, and let it go, if that is our wish.
Mindfulness teaches us to slow down, to pay attention to the moment at hand. Awareness of the breath is the key to connecting us to this moment. Consciously breathing both in and out teaches us to stay present, to not let our mind wander.
As with any new habit, this takes practice, but being more mindful spills over into everything we do. When we are taking a walk, we pay attention to our surroundings, when we are interacting with our loved ones, we are sincerely there for them. When we are hungry, we can notice what we are really hungry for; food or maybe we are trying to meet some emotional need.
When the practice of mindfulness becomes are new norm, we cultivate peace, and freedom within us. We are better able to handle all of life’s challenges with grace and ease.
