Personal: In the now

Some years ago I took part in a yoga teacher training and there is one thing that struck me most and that has ever since become a huge part of my life and the way I do things: The practice of mindfulness. Rest assured, this is not a cheesy, new-agey post about sitting down meditating, convincing you to set aside time to sit quietly in lotus position and burn incense. No, this is about integrating the concept of mindfulness into your daily life.

In short, mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the moment. The goal is to observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance without judging them good or bad. Awakening to experience is key, and here is where it starts to get interesting: YOU can do it anytime, anywhere! In our yoga teacher training we used to end our lessons by slowly and mindfully rolling up our yoga mats and trying to only focus on this simple process without getting distracted by our sometimes very noisy minds. Even the most simple task can become a very important moment of your day and will help you focusing on the present. The long longed for coffee break or a little chit chat with your friend on the phone; it can all be the decisive moment of your day to turn things around and getting aware of your surroundings and reconnecting.

I decided to integrate a daily mindfulness ritual into my everyday life which helps me to push the reset button and to have a fresh start when I get stuck in negative thinking, worrying… you name it. I chose a classical matcha tea ritual as my daily dose of mindfulness. There are literally one million videos on how to make matcha on Youtube (please watch a very long Japanese one and enjoy the details and attention in every single step), but I stick to the very basics and take some time to make it. 

Whilst the health benefits having a cup of matcha will not be new to you, I love drinking it, because it is packed with antioxidants, calms the mind and brings fresh focus.

Some more ideas for everyday mindfulness rituals:

• Drink the first cup of tea/coffee outside on your terrace and listen
• Eat mindfully, enjoy every bite consciously
• Brush your teeth concentrating only on the process
• Go for a walk but don’t rush to get somewhere (it’s spring, see the flowers) or take another route to work
• Really engage in everyday conversations, show interest, ask questions!

In today’s rush we all think too much, seek too much and forget about the joy of just Being – Eckhart Tolle

Doing one thing after another, concentrating on just one task at a time and stopping the noise in our heads in a mindful way, can help you overcome counterproductive habits and make you feel more capable to get things done. Trust me, you’ll love it, once you get used to being more aware to the details in life.

Please let me know, what you do in order to break patterns of negative thinking and to escape the rush of our busy everyday lives. Would love to read from you! 

Matcha – KISSA
Yoga mat – Magic Carpet
Pleated trousers – H&M
Shirt – H&M

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