Hi there.
My name is Cara Hennehan and I am a meditation guide and mindfulness coach to moms.
And I wanted to spend our time together to do a brief introduction to mindfulness.
So what is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the practice of wholeheartedly full body being in the present moment.
Something unique about mindfulness compared to just the general attempt to live in the present.
Is within mindfulness,
We're really working to live in the moment without judgment.
So it's recognizing our feelings.
Recognizing our emotions,
Recognizing what's happening around us.
And naming those feelings,
Those emotions,
Those activities.
But not lending them any specific judgment or giving them much emotional attachment.
So when considering mindfulness in your day-to-day,
We wanna think about how we can continue.
To live our life.
Go about our regular activities.
While sinking into our senses.
Which will help pull us into the present moment.
So for instance,
When you're doing the dishes,
Which is a regular chore for most of us.
It's easy to be scrubbing the plates and doing what you need to do with your mind.
Racing or just your mind elsewhere thinking about what you have to do after the dishes or what happened earlier in the day.
If you're practicing mindfulness,
Instead of having your mind wander during that time.
You would focus on the act of washing the dishes.
So you'd notice the feeling of the water on your hand,
The feeling of the sponge and soap on your hand as you scrub the dish,
Maybe noticing that the dish is a little slippery when it gets wet.
What temperature is the water?
Can you hear the sound of the water coming out of the faucet?
You might clock in that while you're washing the dishes,
You can hear.
The activity in maybe the apartment unit next door,
Or your kids in the room over,
Or maybe your windows open and you notice the birds chirping.
So yes,
You're paying attention to what you're doing,
But you're also tuning into your surroundings as well.
So when you think about bringing mindfulness in your day to day.
I encourage you and I invite you.
To start your practice.
By tuning into your senses during an average moment of your day.
Maybe start with one of those chores that you need to get done anyway.
Turn it into a little bit of of a wellness practice for you.
So I'd love to take us through a very short.
Guided mindfulness experience here.
You're welcome to close your eyes.
Or gently lower your gaze.
Let's take one intentional deep breath in.
And exhale.
We're going to spend the next few moments together.
Simply naming.
What we're experiencing with each of our senses.
So take a moment to notice what you hear.
What do you smell?
What do you taste?
What do you feel physically?
And if your eyes are closed,
You're welcome to open them for the next one.
What do you see?
Take another deep breath in.
And release.
That was a great first practice in mindfulness.
You're welcome to bring that same practice with you throughout your day,
Throughout your regular routine,
Or even if you're feeling a little flighty or floaty or anxious,
It really helps ground you into the moment.
I really do hope.
That you strengthen your mindfulness practice.
And that I see you back here.
Have a great day.