By Cynthia Wang | New Hope Counseling Group
The beginnings of things invite so much momentum as well as introspection. As I am reflecting, we are already halfway through 2024. This year thus far has been such a challenging yet exciting time, many areas of my life have changed and shifted. From working to not working, welcoming a new member into my family, and adjusting to the ever-changing day-to-day habits. I am grateful for my health and the support that keeps me grounded and energized.
Appreciate a Slower Pace in Life to Feel Centered, Present, & Connected
I have been journaling what I’m feeling to self-reflect and connect with what’s needed. What I’ve found that brings me back to embracing the full spectrum of my emotions is as little as taking a short, mindful pause in my day to connect and be present with myself. I used to see meditation as sitting still for long periods to cultivate a sense of calmness and clarity in our inner selves. Often I feel stressed even to think about meditating and feel so frustrated that I can’t “achieve” a state of calmness.
After a few years of practicing yoga and being in the field of mental health, I’ve realized that meditation is not so much about achieving a certain outcome or accomplishing something big, but simply a training ground for daily mindfulness and compassion. It’s such a liberating feeling to see that what we are looking for is already there, not something we have to actively seek out.
Meditation and Mindfulness as a Daily Practice
There are days where a 15 to 20-minute practice in the morning sounds about right for me. Either sit in silence and allow my senses to open, or do a body scan or breathing exercise to center myself. Other days I crave a quick grounding to pause and rest, and that can look like a short 3-minute break to take note of my feelings and needs, or simply step away from my working area.
Having a consistent daily mindfulness meditation practice has anchored me in a nourishing way. At first, it’s noticing the refreshing feeling from coming out of practice, and then it’s seeing that I’m incorporating this gentle and present-focused mindset into outside the practice, my living life spaces. I noticed that I’m more energized throughout the day. I’m more intentional with how I spend my energy, such as that I’m more aware of how much I’m on my phone/screen or how my posture looks and my body feels throughout the day.
Create a Soft Landing for Self
To clarify, not every day looks the same, and it could be tiring to be mindful and conscious all the time. What I find helpful is to create a soft landing for myself, especially if I already feel tired and low in energy.
A soft landing could look like letting go of some expectations that are not serving us well, and take a realistic view of how we spend our time. For example, if I do not feel well-rested waking up in the morning, I’ll remind myself that it is okay to feel like not doing anything productive, accept my state of mind at the moment, and know that whatever I’m feeling will pass.
We all live in a world where productivity and efficiency are idolized, and it makes taking a slower pace in life so much harder to do and embody. What mindfulness has taught me is that we can train ourselves to be more in tune with what’s serving us well by gently shifting focus within, without judgment.
A Slower Pace to Shift the Focus Inward
By gently redirecting myself from the external to the internal, I was able to shift away from the default judgment that the external world or we have imposed on ourselves to instead listen to what my wants, values, and needs are.
In this process, we are inviting ourselves with kindness and curiosity, to see the journey and our true desires in life without the outer noises. And the good news is, within this process of integrating a slow-paced living attitude into our life areas, we can take the time, there’s no right or wrong way of doing this, nor does it have a criteria or an order to follow.
A quote I love says that the best way to put the mind at ease is to let go of the desire for things to be different. In each moment when we make an effort to slow down and check in with ourselves, we are training and strengthening our mindfulness muscles.
Setting gentle intentions and designing a soft landing that works for you before tapping into a change could be a great start. Some prompts to get started:
What has this year so far taught you about yourself and what you need?
What are some things you’d like to change or do to take better care of your mind/body?
What can you let go of and free yourself for? What part of yourself that you noticed you need to be more gentle with?
Whatever your intentions and the themes for this year, season, or month look like, may we savor and enjoy the experience and journey for what is, and find broader space and ease to navigate different challenges in life.
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