BBWC #4 – A Moment for Your Mind

To unwind at the end of the day, I often turn on the TV – usually reality TV. I like it because it’s mindless. But this week, I’m going to challenge myself to swap some of my ‘mindless’ time with ‘mindful’ time. I hope you’ll join me.

Years ago, I read the book “Eat, Pray, Love” and I underlined a sentence that spoke to me. “Zen masters say you cannot see your reflection in running water, only still water.” At that time, I was new to the working world and drowning in it. I remember trying to find my way to the surface and figure out where I was supposed to be swimming in life. This quote made me realize if I wanted to figure out who I was, I had to give myself the opportunity to be present and to listen – to see my reflection.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten a bit better at being present, but it takes conscious effort and I’m no expert. I believe this blog is a result of my mindfulness and that thrills me. But being mindful doesn’t necessarily equal instant gratification, something we’ve become so accustomed to. But it’s worth it.

Beloved Body Wellness Challenge (BBWC) #4 – A Moment for Your Mind

Challenge: Each day, spend at least five quiet minutes by yourself, free of distractions. You can choose how this challenge looks for you but here are a few ideas:

• Use a meditation app: My friend Jessica told me about a meditation app called Calm that she’s been using after she puts her little boy to sleep. I just downloaded it and plan to try it out this week. It asks you what your goals are: learn to meditate, decrease anxiety, develop gratitude, sleep better, etc. The beauty of an app like this is it provides quiet time, plus prompts and reminders so your mind doesn’t wander.
• Color: Hadley’s been into coloring lately, and it’s made me remember how I enjoy to color. So, I decided to buy one of those adult coloring books. Mine is Color Me Calm: 100 Coloring Templates for Meditation and Relaxation. At the book store, I realized I needed colored pencils, too, and I couldn’t just go with the cheap kind. I had to get to 24 ‘artist’ colored pencils in a super cute case. $40 later … let’s just say I’m going to need to color/meditate a lot to get my money’s worth!
• Sit: Spend 5 minutes just sitting there. Look out the window. Or close your eyes. Just be.
• Ditch the device: While driving to work or wherever, turn off the radio and breathe. While waiting for a work meeting to begin, for a friend to arrive to your coffee date, or for the doctor to see you, just sit there. Look around you. Breathe. While walking from the subway to your office, riding on the bus, or walking from the gym to your car, leave your phone in your pocket/purse. Stop looking down. Look up and see what’s going on in the world around you.

Have a great week! I can’t wait to hear how this challenge goes. Ommmmmmmmmmm.

-Amy

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