Mindfulness is being self aware, and part of that is understanding your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual awareness. Meditation is one tool I use daily to focus my awareness.
Mediation is not some hippie, atheist, old-world idea. There are several verses in the Old Testament on mediation, including meditating on the Word of God.
This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.
Joshua 1:8
Other words to use if mediate is to foreign for you is ponder, dream, and study. When I use mediate I usually focus on my well-being. How does my body feel? Am I stressed? If so why? How do I release that in a safe way?
I also practice meditation on scripture, this year I’m reading through the Psalms and Proverbs. (Should only take half a year but we shall see.) Meditating on scripture often means journaling and a sad attempt for me to memorize. By reading scripture on a daily basis, it has become routine and at the fore front of my mind, therefore it’s easy for me to escape into my head pondering on what I’ve read and what it means for this or that reallife situation.
Here are a few other ways to practice meditation daily:
- Use an App – like CALM or HeadSpace. I use the Calm app on my phone.
- Journal – I keep a journal & frequently write scripture and a personal self awareness at the end of a hard day or after getting good news! This is an important way for me to process my feelings, reactions, and motivations moving forward.
- Have some quiet time on your drive home, while walking the dog, or taking a bath/shower – entirely too much of our regular day to day lives are being bombarded with noise from our car radio, on our computers while we work or listening to podcasts or the news in a sad attempt to keep up with the world. Try spending 10 minutes in silence put your phone in airplane mode, set an alarm, and rest.
Do you mediate? When, where, and how do you create mindfulness and awareness in your daily life?
Stylishly Shelby 