5 Benefits Of Mindfulness & Staying Present In All Moments Of Life
Mindfulness keeps us present and aware.
getty Mindfulness plays a huge role when it comes to living our best life in the present moment.
Each moment of our lives is an opportunity to learn something valuable about ourselves.
But instead, we often take our time for granted and waste it on unproductive thoughts. We must remind ourselves that it’s this present moment that truly matters.
If we value our lives, we won’t let any moment go by without living it as truthfully and authentically as we can.
Mindfulness keeps us present and aware.
It’s an elevated awareness that provides us a way to experience an expansiveness that feels like we’re breathing along with nature.
There’s no feeling of separateness. It reminds us that we’re here, in this moment of "now," and there’s no other moment than this one.
Having a daily mindfulness practice can help sustain your present-moment awareness.
Here are 5 benefits of mindfulness and staying present in all moments of life.
1. Mindfulness connects you to your authentic self.
Often, when you’re caught up going from one moment to the next, you’re doing what you think you’re supposed to do, but feeling dissatisfied doing it.
Take time to go inward and connect with your authentic self.
Otherwise, you’ll live your life superficially, concerned only with who you’re projecting out to the world, knowing it doesn’t ring true.
2. Mindfulness connects you to a sense of wholeness.
When you allow yourself to stop your busyness and devote time to connect to your authentic self, you experience a sense of non-separation, wholeness, and completeness.
Becoming aware of yourself as a spiritual being helps you recognize that which is worthy, divine, and holy within.
3. Mindfulness quiets your inner critic.
When you practice mindfulness, you’ll stop being a harsh self-critic and become a constructive advisor, instead.
Your inner talk that begins with "I can’t" or "I’ll never" quiets because the authentic self knows its own strengths and weaknesses without defining them as inadequate.
With mindfulness, you let go of self-criticism and awaken to acceptance and peace.
4. Mindfulness helps you process pain.
While your past may contain unpleasant or painful memories, they’re a part of your life.
How you process those painful experiences and what you continue to tell yourself about them makes the difference in how it affects your present self.
You can create a "new memory in the present time" by navigating the present with neutrality and experiencing the past with acceptance.
This doesn’t deny or diminish your past, but creates a new impression that helps distance you from the unpleasant memory.
Let yourself choose to stay present and not become influenced by hurtful memories that arise. Know that anything that’s happened to you in the past doesn’t define who you are in the present.
5. Mindfulness helps you return to your conscious homeland.
It reminds you that you’re here, in this moment of "now."
All this moment asks of you is to feel love and acceptance towards yourself and others.
Use this mindfulness meditation to connect you to the present moment.
1. Find a quiet place to sit.
Close your eyes. Feel yourself where you are right now.
Note any sounds, thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations.
2. Invite yourself to be present in your meditation.
Tell yourself it’s OK to let everything go. Focus your awareness on your breath. Take a few deep breaths in and out.
3. Focus.
If your mind begins to wander at any time, bring your focus and awareness back to your breath, which will always bring you back to the present moment.
Say silently, "I am in this moment of now."
Say silently, "Now is all there is."
Say silently, "I accept this moment I’m in."
Repeat this as many times as you wish. When you’re ready, slowly open your eyes.
Be aware that you're still in the moment of "now" and that there’s no need to rush out of it.
Ora Nadrich is the founder and president of the Institute for Transformational Thinking and author of Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity, named in the 100 Best Mindfulness Books of All Time by BookAuthority. She is a certified life coach and mindfulness teacher, specializing in transformational thinking, self-discovery, and mentoring new coaches as they develop their careers. Contact her on her website.