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With or without us noticing, time will march on. It is the most precious resource we have yet so often we don’t truly realize it because we are not mindful of it.
It isn’t that we don’t know how precious time is, but that knowledge easily gets pushed to the back burner of our lives as so many things demand our attention.
Whether it’s raising children, running a household, meeting milestones at work, or discovering how deceptively hard it can be to actually relax on vacation, it is a challenge to live in the moment.
To live in this section of time we have been given, on this day, at this minute, wherever that may find you is a powerful idea known as mindfulness.
But what exactly is mindfulness? Psychology Today offers this explanation: “Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you carefully observe your thoughts and feelings without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to your current experience, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future.”
Left to my own devices, I will make to-do lists that could keep me busy until the apocalypse. With today’s fast-paced world, I think there’s a tendency for our brains to be in perpetual spin-mode, always asking – maybe even screaming: What needs to be done next?
Although challenging, it’s not impossible to slow down that feeling of constant motion and bring a sense of mindfulness to the forefront of our lives. Technology, while often a driving source of our distraction, can also be harnessed to help bring us back into the present.
Mindfulness Apps
There are several apps on mindfulness and meditation. Some inspire you to set an intention for your day, while others offer options to calm your mind – and bring you back into this moment. These four apps are some of the world’s favorites.
1. Headspace Headspace is consistently the worlds #1 mindfulness app. It is a robust app that features numerous meditations, classes, nighttime sleep aids, physical exercises and more. It is especially useful for building daily mindfulness practice with its reminders and scheduled break times. It is available for all devices.
1. Insight Timer Home to over 2.1 million meditators, Insight Timer specifically tackles the challenges of sleep, stress and anxiety. It allows you to connect with other users, find inspirational talks and playlists or simply slow down and connect with yourself.
2. Calm As soon as you open Calm’s app, you might just feel … well, calm! Once you sign-up (it’s easy, free and takes less than 30 seconds), you are greeted with a calming scene and serene sounds. This app is especially great to play at your desk with a pair of headphones.
3. Aura Aura’s premise is simple; meditation for people who can’t sit still long enough to meditate. Guided meditation sessions last anywhere from 10-30 minutes, making it a perfect entry point for newcomers, or those truly crunched on time.
Perhaps today, maybe even right now, carve out a quiet minute for yourself and begin a nurturing practice of comfort and self-care. Facedown your wandering mind … and just … be.
