Transcript

Day Three: Developing Mindfulness

Welcome to day 3 of your ten-day focus meditation journey.

Today we’re going to be talking about mindfulness and how developing mindfulness can increase your focus and give you a better quality of life.

When we practice living mindfully, we increase our capacity for awareness and deepen our levels of concentration.

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Mindfulness is a really popular topic these days. You know, from yogis and monks to world-class athletes and businessmen, practicing mindful meditation and living mindfully is offering a lot of people the peace of mind we’re all inherently seeking.

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And mindfulness simply offers more connection and awareness to the world around you.

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What exactly is it though? What do people really mean by mindfulness?

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Well, simply stated, mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment, on purpose, without judgement.

That’s it!

And you might wonder how purposely paying attention to the present moment can make that big of a difference in your life.

Well, research has shown that mindfulness can improve concentration, help the brain process information, ease depression, reduce stress, strengthen the immune system, and lift our mood.

So regularly practicing mindfulness can lead to profound shifts in your ability to focus and is really one of the best ways to improve concentration.

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Practicing mindfulness can be simply thought of as observing what you’re doing in the present moment. This could be washing the dishes, taking a shower, driving to work, even walking to your car, walking from the couch to the kitchen,

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It’s just giving all your focus to what you’re doing in the present moment.

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When you first start practicing mindfulness you might be surprised to realize how much your mind really does wander. We really pay little attention to the things we do throughout the day. Our minds are usually fixated on something else. Maybe the past, the future, the this, the that, the not what we’re doing right now.

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The easiest way to increase our concentration and focus is just paying attention to what you’re doing in the present moment. This increases your awareness like crazy.

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What does it mean though? To observe what we’re doing?

Well, it’s really simple, but can seem really, really hard for the mind that’s accustom to thinking about whatever it pleases all the time.

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So we’re going to start. We’re going to start right now from where we’re at.

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How are you sitting in the present moment?

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What physical sensations do you feel?

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What’s going on around you? Are you at home? In the car? Maybe on a bus or an airplane? Where are you right now in space and time?

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Just simply breathe and become more aware of where you are right now as you listen to my voice.

What’s going on around you?

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Do you notice a difference in your attention as you shifted your mind back to the present moment?

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As you begin to live more mindfully, you’re going to bring this observation into everything you do. When you wake up in the morning see if you can’t just really focus on the sensation of waking up before your mind starts to go in a million different directions.

When you drink you coffee in the morning, really try to be in the moment and just observe the simple act of drinking coffee. How does the mug feel in your hand? How does your coffee smell? What does it taste like?

When you drive to work in the morning, how long can you focus on the fact that you’re driving? If you’re like most people, you can arrive at your destination without even realizing you were on the road!

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When practicing mindfulness, every time your mind begins to wander, just simply bring it back to whatever it was you were doing in the present moment. Don’t judge where it’s been, don’t think about your thoughts, just bring it back.

And be in the now.

Let’s prepare for a really simple guided mindful meditation.

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Allow yourself the time to get comfortable.

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You may sit or lie down comfortably or you might want to choose to sit in a chair or on the floor in traditional seated meditation posture, legs crossed, and your spine straight, and your hands resting gently in your lap.

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You can choose to lie down on the floor or on the bed.

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Just really take a moment to get comfortable.

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You can choose to keep your eyes open or allow them to gently close.

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Just begin to focus on your breath and feel the rise and fall of your abdomen as you really start to invite a deeper breath.

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Become aware of the surface beneath you and just feel that you’re completely supported in this moment.

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Just focus on your breath. Concentrating on each inhale

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And each exhale

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For this meditation we’re going to focus on mindfulness of the breath.

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You’re going to inhale

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And exhale

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And just become mindful of the breath with each inhale.

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Be aware of the rise of your chest and the way it feels to inhale through your nose.

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And keep the movement of your breath flowing gently outward as you exhale

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Notice the fall of your abdomen and the air escaping through your nose or mouth as you gently release your breath.

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And just continue now to focus on this movement of your breath.

In

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And out

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Every time you find your mind has begun to wander, just simple bring your attention back to your breath…and simply breathe in and out.

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Begin to bring your attention to the entire process of breathing. The beginning, the middle, and the end. The rise of your chest, the pause, and the feeling of your body just releasing as you exhale.

Simply watch your breath.

In

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And out.

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Start to bring your attention back to the present moment.

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No matter where you’ve been in your mind just…let your awareness come back to this time and space.

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Mindful of where you are.

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Maybe invite a deeper breath

Wiggle your fingers and toes and just begin to come out of the state of relaxation you were just in.

Feel yourself come back to the present moment.

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In your own time you can open your eyes if they’ve been closed and just take a moment to notice any differences you might feel.

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What does being mindful in each moment feel like?

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We’ll see you back again tomorrow for more ways to increase your focus through the power of meditation.

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