Don't Forget to Breathe
We teach kids mindfulness at an early age when we put them in time-out or ask them to calm down and count to ten. We ask them to think about actions they have taken or to explain to us why they have done something wrong to give them a reason to understand these actions along with the consequences. We encourage positive actions and assess actions that can be deemed as negative. This is mindfulness. This epitomizes what we need to do as adults to have healthy relationships with ourselves. If it works for children it can and does work for adults.
The goal with all of this is to establish a healthy inner dwelling within ourselves. It helps us to learn about ourselves, set boundaries, and to understand what we need in order to have a healthy life balance between who you really are and who society expects and or demands you to be. Since there is an ebb and flow to life or constant necessity to be going somewhere, getting something, or dealing with some problem, oftentimes the noise of our daily lives overshadows our inner peace. Our inner peace is always inside of us, but we have to harness it and deliberately cultivate it. We have to make time to be mindful. We have to take time to think about things that make us happy and grateful for our lives or else negative thoughts can and will enter our minds.
Take time to be quiet and breathe. Sit and be still in silence ( if silence is an option). That's all meditation is. You don’t have to be enlightened. You don't have to do it for an extended period of time. You don't have to be a Buddhist. You don’t have to be woke. You don't have to sit crossed legged. You don’t have to be anything that you aren’t already. You just have to be still and acknowledge this present moment.
I encourage you to be aware of what you’re feeling and take time out of your day to intentionally breathe. Honestly that is the only thing we can truly control. Even if it's only ten deep breaths while in traffic, or saying a prayer of gratitude to yourself or daydreaming about things that make you happy/ grateful, these are ways that you can create habits of mindfulness. Regardless of what you call it or what your own personal approach is, studies are in favor of meditation from a physical, mental and spiritual standpoint. The only requirement is that you take time out to breathe. It’s not mystical, but it is magical and mandatory for growth.
By Ernest Moore