There’s no getting around the fact that life can be chaotic. Between jobs, families, social lives, and life’s little surprises, we may often feel like we don’t have a moment to ourselves, but this simply isn’t true. Technically, the moment is always available to us, though we’re usually too distracted and chaotic so we don’t notice when it appears.  Mindful practice can teach us how to deal with the chaos. Mindfulness can help us place more focus on things that actually matter in the present. Mindfulness – Dealing With the Chaos

Making a Commitment

Being mindful is something that we should aspire to in day to day life. However, when first being introduced to the concept, it’s best to practice a focused technique like mindful meditation. It would be great if we could get in at least 30 minutes of daily practice. But even 15 minutes a few times a week will be enough to have a positive effect on our overall well-being. Making the commitment to stick to a schedule of mindful meditation on a regular basis. This will be an important step toward calming the chaos of an unexamined life.

Calming the Body

A key part of most forms of meditation is the relaxation of the body and Mindfulness meditation is no different. A calm body creates fewer distractions for the mind. This allows us to more easily ignore mental processes that interfere with our connection to the present. We can achieve physical calmness by sitting in a comfortable position, closing our eyes, and intentionally relaxing each part of the body in sequence (usually starting at the head or the feet).

Finding the Moment

With a relaxed body, we can then bring our attention to things that are happening in the present. This is the goal of mindfulness. We want to dedicate as much focus as possible to life as it happens in the moment. After achieving an acceptable level of physical calmness, we should pay close attention to something that is happening in real time. Our own heartbeats or breathing patterns can suffice, as can external cues like the sounds of nature or the feeling of air on your skin. This helps us to connect to the present more directly and trains us to calm much of the chaos in the brain. With enough practice, our brains will begin to adopt a mindful perspective in daily life.