I have dabbled with meditation for years, but never managed to get in to the routine of integrating it in to my everyday life.
Instead I look for other mindful activities to do on a weekly basis in order to find my mindfulness thoughts. Meditating has many benefits with it’s most important being the way it can center your mind and provide you with a bubble of calm in our everyday busy lives.
The practice of mindfulness simply means being present in the here and now. So if meditation doesn’t take your fancy, or if you’ve tried and moved on, why not give some of these activities a go for your mindful fix. I’ve rounded up my five favourites below….
Reading
Deep reading, is the mindful way of enjoying a novel. Instead of skimming over passages and getting sidetracked by social media, websites and other distractions, slow down and focus on your book. I have begun reading more books over the past year, despite being dyslexic. I even managed two whole books whilst away in Saint Lucia in May, which is a record for me, and I plan on taking another two with me to Malta in July. Do you have any recommendations?
Flower arranging
Something a little different but makes total sense, flower arranging. I did wreath making workshop at Daylesford last Christmas and loved the experience. Flower arranging is an active meditation, weaving together mindfulness exercises with simple and easy-to-do floral designs and also great as you require being present. The activity is a way of bringing meditation into everyday life while composing beautiful, contemporary floral arrangements. Read about my trip to Daylesford here.
Cooking
It’s been said that the only two jobs of a Zen monk that are more important than sitting zazen (meditation) are cooking and cleaning. Cooking is a great way to practice mindfulness as it requires you to be present and with open attention. By using cooking as a mindfulness activity is means you are living in the moment and awakening to the experience of creating something (in this instance, yummy food).
Walking
After a long day sitting in an office, seated meditation might seem unappealing. On days when you want to get out into nature, try walking meditation instead. Walking meditation, also known as mindful walking, is an active practice that requires you to be consciously aware and moving in the environment rather than sitting down with your eyes closed. The practice brings you closer to nature and your body.
Painting
Mindfulness painting is a powerful, intuitive, spiritual practice. It is a creative practice of meditating with your brush in your hand, whilst creating something meaningful. It is an opportunity to discover and interact with your intuition and creativity by being mindful while using paint, paper and brushes. It’s something I haven’t tried yet, but I loved art at school and did lots of paintings throughout my GCSE’s. I must give this one a try!
