10 Practices To Embody Presence, Mindfulness and Conscious Consumption.
Hello! Happy October!
Alright, now that you have insight on the importance of presence, mindfulness and conscious consumption (if not, refer to the previous blog post), let’s dive into the tools and healing modalities that you can implement and integrate into your life to embody these practices.
As I shared in my most recent blog post, I have just come off a month-long social media detox and in doing so, I was really able to embody what it means to be truly present, mindful and to consciously consume content, people, places and things that allow me to evolve and expand rather than becoming a victim to toxic consumption.
It’s amazing how much our life can change in just 30 days when we set out with the right intentions and goals and have the right support in place.
Below you will find the practices that I have integrated into my day to day. There is really no right or wrong way to go about this. Take what resonates and leave the rest, but make sure you take some time to sit with yourself and come up with a plan that works for you and fits in with your schedule.
SLEEP: This one is a no brainer. If we don’t allow our bodies to rest and restore, we are not going to have the energy we need to get through our days and to be of service to others. Make a point to get to bed early and give your body an adequate amount of sleep so when you awake, you feel nourished and ready to start your day.
START YOUR DAY EARLY: Yes- it can be so easy to press that snooze button and not want to wake at the crack of dawn ( I totally relate!), especially in the winter months if you live in Vancouver, but I can promise you, this is an absolute game changer in how the rest of our day will play out. There is something so powerful to getting up before the rest of the world is awake. There’s this sense of stillness, silence and solitude. It’s such a beautiful enriching experience. So much so, that this has become the most favorite part of my day!
MOVEMENT: I can’t stress enough the importance of moving your body!! Since our trauma and emotions are stored in the body, movement is the catalyst to get things moving and pushed through and out. You know, that stuck, stagnant energy? The energy that feels dormant and life starts to feel heavy and “blah”, yes I know you know what I’m talking about because we all feel it. Going for even just a quick 10-mintue walk will do wonders for your health. Movement also creates more space and will provide you with a greater capacity for your mental and emotional health. Bonus- movement will unlock your creativity and you will get the most expansive downloads and insights!
MEDITATION: I know this can sometimes sound like a buzz word that you hear all the time but there really are profound benefits of practicing meditation. Again, there is no one way to meditate, I think we can get lost in the noise of it all but it doesn’t have to be so rigid. When I think of the word meditation, for me personally, it’s a broad umbrella term for multiple different practices that fall under it. This could look like; listening to a guided meditation (I love the “insight timer” app for free meditations-wide selection to choose from!), sitting in silence, praying, connecting in with God, connecting in with yourself, taking in a few deep breaths, writing a letter, etc. The purpose behind meditation, in whichever form feels right for you is to completely slow down, to be fully present in the here and now and allow your thoughts, feelings and emotions to come to the surface, as a way to acknowledge, accept & release them. The more you practice meditation, the more easier it becomes and the longer you continue to integrate this into your day to day, you will notice a sense of calm, peace and balance in your life. We are so used to living in this hustle-bustle world that we don’t make the time to deal with our life stressors and eventually this starts to cause major turmoil in every aspect of our lives.
BREATHWORK: Breathing is one of the greatest tools and healing modalities that we have available to us every second of every day. I will be the first to admit, I used to think it was “weird”, (whatever that meant) but as I continue on this road of healing, I have learned to slow down and take intentional deep breaths throughout my day. I have noticed a profound difference! This is a great way to relieve stress and anxiety. To further this practice, I highly encourage you to engage in either a group breathwork circle or a 1:1 session facilitated by a Certified Breathwork Facilitator. The results are life changing!!- more on the power of breath in a whole other blog post… to come soon!
JOURNALING: One of my favorites!! Allowing ourselves to be present and writing down our thoughts onto paper is such an incredible way to clear the clutter from our mind and allow ourselves the capacity to process and make sense of our thoughts, emotions and feelings. You can use journal prompts if you find that easier, but what I love the most is to just free hand write, wherever my heart takes me. Use your journal as a way to express gratitude for your life and all that you are grateful for. I love reading back at old journals and reflecting on where I was in the past and where I am now. Sometimes, a lot of times, we lose sight of our accomplishments and successes in our day to day, but if we take the time to reflect and look back, you would be surprised to see how much you have actually grown from when you started.
TIP: Buy yourself a beautiful journal that allows you to feel and capture the essence of it! I am obsessed with mine<3
NUTRITION: What we put into our bodies 110% matters! Fuel yourself with healthy, nourishing food and drinks that are going to bring vitality to your mind and body. When we over-consume toxic foods that have zero nutritional value, this will wreak havoc to our entire system and will lead to chronic diseases. Moderation and balance are key!
NATURE: Ecotherapy!! Another healing modality available to us 24/7. Nature is such an expansive life force and when you can become one with it, it will bring balance and harmony to your life. The act of slowing down, and connecting with your surroundings is a beautiful way to then in turn connect with yourself. Tap into your 5 senses (see, hear, smell, touch, taste) and appreciate your interaction with the outside world. Remember, its the simplest of moments that bring upon the most joy!
PLEASURE/FUN: Bring out your inner child! What’s the point of life if we’re not having fun!? All the things that brought you joy as a child, re-implement them into your now adult life. I’ve had to work on this one over the last several years (and continue to do so) as I realized, this aspect of my life was missing. I know this is true for a lot of people, we get so caught up in adulting that we forget to have fun but it is so vital to your mental health to step away from the adult stuff and engage in activities that light you up. This will look different for everyone but whatever brings you into a state of playfulness and high spirits, do just that! Some examples: Singing, dancing, riding your bike, coloring, painting, arts and crafts, playing board games, jump on a trampoline, run through the sprinklers, etc. etc.
CONSCIOUS CONSUMPTION: Be intentional with who and what you give your energy to!! This is one of the most important concepts to understand because as I was sharing in my previous blog post, the more we engage with people or things that don’t make us feel good, it will cause turmoil in our life. If you leave a situation feeling energetically depleted or this sense of feeling “less than”, then most likely, that is a reflection of toxic consumption. Consumption isn’t just about what you’re consuming physically, it’s also relates to the energy you are taking in. This is a daily practice that impacts many areas of our lives, from what we watch, what we listen to, what we eat/drink and who and where we spend our time with. Start off by paying attention to how you’re feeling, both physically and mentally after an experience or encounter with someone/something and see what you notice, Feel into those sensations, thoughts and feelings. If you’re feeling uplifted and inspired, then you know you’re on the right path. If you’re feeling the opposite, then it’s time to re-evaluate the situation, people, places or things and maybe it’s time to let go of what is no longer adding value to your life.
I very much acknowledge and recognize that these practices seem very simple and ones that you’ve likely heard a million times over, but my question to you is this:
How many of you actually implement and integrate these 10 practices into your daily lives?
There is no judgement or shame here, this is just the reality of most peoples lives, mine included. It’s the smallest of tasks that usually get pushed to the wayside when life starts to feel heavy and daunting. Even though these small practices are the very things we need to help us stay calm, grounded and balanced. I get it, life gets busy and we fall back into old habits and patterns but what I want you to take away with you after reading this, is to remember, that you can always come back to these practices at any time of any day. They are available to you and most of them can be done right from the comfort of your own home.
“Life is getting up an hour early, to live an hour more” - unknown
It has been 37 consecutive days of me bringing these practices into my life and I can’t even begin to articulate the changes I have experienced, both internally and externally. My days start at 0530 during the weekdays and 0700-0800 on the weekends and I’m usually getting ready for bed by 8pm (on weekdays). I wouldn’t consider myself a morning nor a night person but I would way rather get up early in the morning to start my day than to waste half of it sleeping and or not having enough time in my day to complete everything that I need to do.
Over the years, I have also got to know myself on a deeper level and what I’ve realized is that, I need to fill my own cup before I can then fill any one else’s, i.e. my clients, my community, my family and friends. For me personally, I need about 3 to 4 hours for myself first thing in the morning. This allows me to feel nourished and ready to take on the rest of my day.
This is what works for me and I absolutely love this new routine of mine. This may not look the same for you but as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, you do what works for you, just make sure that you’re being intentional with your day, honoring your needs and embodying presence, mindfulness and conscious consumption.
Your future self will thank you<3
Please feel free to share your thoughts, insights, take-aways in the comment section below. I love reading your shares and engaging with you!
xo,
Sara Jaswal
