AWARENESS… This is something I’ve personally been working on for awhile. 

The definition of awareness is to be mindful.  How aware /mindful are you of not just the people, places and things around you but how aware are you of you?  How aware are you of what you feel and why, what your thoughts consist of on a daily basis and more importantly where do those thoughts originate from?  On a not so deep level, are you aware of how your food tastes when you sit down to eat it or is it something that you just do because you are hungry, bored or depressed?

When you take time out of your busy schedule to be calm and still (meditation) you are working on mindfulness. By being still and not surrounding yourself with television or work brought home from the office or the internet you are able to bring a sense of peace and quite to your mind, body and heart.  These 3 areas can then heal and rest and give back to you when you need answers or energy.  You begin to display a sense of calmness to the people that surround you on a daily basis and a positive attitude is felt by others that will react accordingly.

Think of it this way, have you ever been around someone who was in a bad mood? You could feel their bad energy and as a result you found your mood changing.  Have you been around a negative person who emitted such negative energy that it drained you, maybe even left you with a headache? These are examples of individuals who are not mindful and aware.

So, how does one become more mindful?  The answer is easy. Practice, practice, practice.   I would like you to try to become more mindful and aware. You will be surprised at how things will start changing for you in a positive way.  Be patient as this does not happen overnight but even 10 minutes a day will have a profound effect on you and others that surround you.  Below are some suggestions that will help you to get star

 *     Breathe- how many times do you consciously breathe throughout your day?  Taking the time to feel the cool air going in through your nose and the warm air coming out?  This       is conscious breathing. Make sure to take time throughout your day to consciously         breathe.  Breathing in the morning will set your tone for the rest of the day. 

*     Eat your meals quietly and slowly- enjoy the taste of your food.

*      Take a quite walk- walk either in your neighborhood or out on a hiking trail. Get out into nature and get connected to the earth.  There is calmness to the energy that is emitted in the mornings and evenings get outside and begin to feel it.  Do not take your ipod or cell phone with you.  This is your time to connect to you.

*     Yoga, Tai Chi & Qi Gong- any one of these energy building exercises will be good for you.  These exercises are about you feeling and connecting with your own body.  Experiment with all 3 and see which one you resonate with.

*      Journal- journaling is a great way to express yourself and get your thoughts down on paper that you can come back to and read at a later date. I would suggest doing journaling in addition to one of the items listed above. Please remember reading books and watching television are not ways to become more aware.  Becoming aware is acquired by you connecting with yourself.  When you read a book you pull in your imagination and this takes the focus off of you.

I hope you find these tasks to be enjoyable and enlightening. I would like to leave you with this quote that was given to me by a client of mine: “Between the stimulus and the response lies a space and within that space, lies our freedom”. 

Health & Happiness from Replenishing Soul.

~Lori