This is the second part to my mini mindfulness in a busy life series taken from a talk I gave recently, you can read the first part here
Morning mindfulness can be a great start to the day. If you’re like me and your day starts as soon as you’re up then fitting a 20 minute meditation in may feel more stressful than relaxing, but the reason for a morning meditation is to get you in a good mindset for the day. With a busy life you just need to recognise when you can create these moments, and maybe your first drink of the day can be that moment, or the second, remember you fit it into your life, not a picture perfect unreality. It may be that you’ve already ran around after the kids, fed the dog, got a quick load of washing in, or you may have the first 15 minutes of the day to yourself, but take that time with that drink to sit in the morning sun: that maybe in the garden, an east facing room, or with your eyes closed for a moment imagining the bright morning sun smiling down on you. Hold your drink in your hands and feel the warmth or coldness, take in the aroma, really taste your first sips, and as you savour your drink in that real or imaginary sun take time to be tankful for the moments and people you are grateful for, think about your day ahead and take that time to plan how you would like it to go, and as you finish your last sip plant your feet on the ground, smile towards the sun and off you go about your day. Some days that 15 minutes is a rarity I know, so find that time elsewhere; in the 5 minutes of snoozing the alarm, in the time it takes to brush your teeth, whilst having a shower, whilst boiling the kettle even if you’ve not time to mindfully drink it, you’ll find a few minutes somewhere. And if that moment of morning mindfulness gets interrupted decide if it’s something or someone you can ignore for that time you’ve put aside, and if it's not then just go with the flow, stay mindful, not annoyed.
Mindful eating is another great way to introduce a mindful focus when each day is busy. Slow down your eating, take time to really savour the flavour in each bite, chew slowly and really appreciate the food you are eating. Switch off the tv, put the phone down, chat with those you are sharing your meal with (between bites – no choking!) or if you’re on your own take that time to process the day so far and recognise what you’re thankful for. Mindful eating is not just great for the mind but for your body too helping with digestion and relaxation, and remember this is fitting into your life so may not suit every meal time, make your mindful moments work with you.