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Have A Most Mindful Christmas!
As we charge, headfirst, into that crazy time of year again, I really do hope we also find time to bring our awareness back to what’s really important at Christmas.
Never mind all the present buying – being truly present is what counts!
That’s all mindfulness is. This, seemingly, intangible concept, is actually so very simple: to learn to focus our attention with absolute precision, so that we c
an concentrate, fully…. in such a way that nothing distracts us from what’s important, in any given moment.
As creatures of habit, how easy it is for us to become overly reliant on living in auto-pilot, so easily distracted that we lose track of where we’ve been or of what we’ve said or done – almost mindless, instead of mindful.
…and especially over the holidays, when the kids are screaming for attention, the dinner still needs cooking, friends and family all on their way and the house looking like a bomb’s hit it – aaaahhhhh!!! Where do you start??!! It’s supposed to be the time to feel at peace and all we feel is overwhelmed!
The essence of the discipline of mindfulness is just that – discipline.
Being mindful in all that we do, so that we develop a disciplined mind, so that we can live a more disciplined life, as opposed to a chaotic one!
Some people think that mindfulness is all about meditation – it’s not – it’s about being aware – with real attention, which is quite different. Finding space in your head, so that all the clogged-up gunge we’ve accumulated over the years can be disposed of – we feel lighter, more focused, more engaged in the present, so that we fully enjoy the here & now. How wonderful does that sound?!! If you’re focused enough to be able to feel depressed, believe me, you can use that same power of focus to lift your spirits. You can keep your Gucci handbag, folks – it’s peace of mind for me every Christmas! (….and that’s saying something, given this girl’s love of shoes and handbags!?!)
With regular practice, it will come naturally to have a completely new go-to place of peace and tranquillity. Your spark will return, you will find new enjoyment in all that you do, you won’t yearn or crave as you used to for things in the future, nor mourn forlornly about the past – you will be more relaxed, yet more mentally alert, emotionally engaged and spiritually uplifted. Your relationships and communication with people will change. In short, even reading this blog, will be a pivotal moment in your life. Right here, right now, as you read these words, your life is changing!!
Just as with the Three Wise Men, who embarked on their Journey of the Magi, it is vitally important for each of us to know where we were going. Remember, though, it is equally important, if not more so, for us to realise that the only thing ultimately real about any journey is the step we’re taking at this very moment. Nothing else matters……why? Because NOW is really all we have.
Wishing you all a truly peaceful (and mindful) Christmas!
Much love, health & happiness,
Yasmin xxx