3 Helpful Steps to Mindfulness

Blog entry by Kāmini (twitter/KaminiCreates)

"Having to stay mindful, bring myself back to what’s real in the present, breathe and respond from a place of inner calm is not easy. Over the years I have cultivated the practise of mindfulness and developed a range of creative strategies to help me cope during times like this, here are some I use regularly: 

1. Writing in my journal. Getting the gunk out of my head and onto the page. All the stuff that felt so big spinning around in my head made ‘real’ on the page will often lose it’s charge as I see ways in which I am adding ‘spin’ to the actual situation and where I can take back some control.
2. Getting physical! Out of my head and into my body through the mindful practice of walking, dancing, yoga, and chi gung. I do have to be really vigilant though and keep the mind focussed on the body, breath and sensations, as it’s all too easy to go into autopilot with the body while the mind is lost in thought!
3. Taking positive action: I love creating ‘mind maps’ when I’m starting a creative project and I have found that this works when I have a life problem to solve too. On a large sheet of A4 paper I start putting down all the relevant facts and linking information and details, what needs doing, the known elements and the unknown ones. Seeing the big picture allows me to take action, where I can, so that I don’t stay focussed on the areas out of my control, which will only add to my sense of powerlessness."

I would add in point 1

• Talk to friends, people, anyone, in order to get some outside (and usually less biased) viewpoints about one's situation.

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