OMYogaUK_December_2016

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here are a lot of amazing benefits to being more present

and mindful, but one of my favourites is this: you’re not

missing the beauty and joy of the present moment.

Being present also helps you to see when you are

feeling fear or resistance, uncertainty or the urge to

procrastinate, anger or resentment - and then to work with those

difficulties mindfully.

That’s all great, but how do you remember to practice being

present? It’s so easy to get caught up in our thoughts and

distractions, and forget to practice.

The honest truth is that no one is perfect at this. Me, least of all.

It’s a continual learning process, not something you figure out and

then you’re good. It’s messy and beautiful all at the same time.

So with that in mind, here are some practical ways to practice:

1

A small regular practice

Form the simple habit of meditating for just two minutes a day

(to start with). After you wake up, simply sit comfortably and try

to focus on your breath for two minutes. When (not if) your mind

wanders, just notice it and label it “thinking.” And gently return to the

breath, without harshness. Set a timer, and when the timer goes off,

you’re done! If you feel like expanding it by a minute every week or

so, feel free to do so, but you don’t have to expand. The benefit of

this regular practice is that you learn skills you can take and practice

in other parts of your day.

2

Work with others

Having a regular group or partner to meditate with is helpful.

You support each other continuing to practice, and can

talk about struggles and things you’re learning. If you don’t have a

practice group in your area, you could find people online to talk to

regularly about practicing.

3

Have mindfulness bells

You could have a chime regularly sound off on your phone

or computer (numerous apps do this) to remind you to pause

and be mindful of what’s going on right now. I’ve also found it useful

to see other things as mindfulness bells: seeing my child’s face, a

traffic light, hearing an alert from an appliance or the computer.

Each of these can be a reminder to be present when I notice them.

4

Set an intention before an activity

If you’re about to do a work task, process email, read a book,

cook dinner ... you can pause just before starting, and think

for a second about what your intention for that activity might be.

What are you hoping to do with this activity? For me, I might cook

Everyday hints and reminders to bring more mindfulness into your life. By Leo Babauta

6 practical ways to...

PRACTICE BEING PRESENT

om mind

dinner out of love for my family or myself. I might write a blog post

(like this one) out of love for my readers. I might do a workout out

of love for myself (and to set a good example for my kids). I process

email out of responsibility and consideration for those trying to

communicate with me. By setting an intention, it reminds you to be

mindful of that intention as you do any activity.

5

Reflect daily

At the end of each day, or at the beginning, take a minute to

journal or just reflect on how your day has gone. How have

you done with practicing being present? What have you struggled

with? Have you been using your mindfulness bells and setting

intentions? What resistance has come up for you, what stories are

you telling yourself about all of this? Daily reflection is one of the

most useful habits for continuing to practice and getting better at

practicing.

6

See everything as a teacher

This method admittedly sounds a bit corny, but it’s actually

amazing. When you’re feeling frustrated with someone,

feeling stressed out by work, feeling upset or

grieving about the health of a loved one,

feeling anxious about a national

election, pause and see this person

or situation as a teacher. What can

you learn from them about being

present? What attachments can

you see in yourself that are

causing this difficulty? What

stories are you forming that

are causing you to feel this

way? What can you practice

letting go of? What can you

appreciate about this moment

that you are taking for granted?

In this way, every difficulty, every

person, everything that arises in

the present moment can be a loving

teacher that is helping us along the

path to being present.

Mindfulness for Beginner’s e-book:

if you’d like help with mindfulness,

check out Leo Babauta’s new

Zen Habits Beginner’s Guide to

Mindfulness short e-book.

Visit: zenhabits.net