hummingbirds and mindfulness
Every day 2 hummingbirds flit around under the awning outside my office window. A male and a female. They arrive within minutes of each other around the same time in the morning. At the risk of sounding like a bird-nerd, I look forward to their appearance to watch how they dart around with those crazy wings.
Before I started my mindfulness and meditation practices I never would have noticed how fun it is to watch the birds partying in my yard. And it does seem like a party sometimes with the jays, hawks, woodpeckers and even the squirrels joining the chatter.
I used to be so caught up in my own chaotic tumble of thoughts that I didn’t notice “the small things” like bird chirps.
I was going through my days on auto-pilot, always trying to check off the never-ending tasks on my to-do list.
I was exhausted. I was unaware of the thoughts running around like multiple toddlers in my brain without an adult to supervise them.
But since I’ve learned how to spend time focusing on my breath, how to meditate, and how to bring my mind back to the present moment when I catch myself thinking on auto-pilot, I’ve become a person who is in awe of this world.
Learning mindfulness practices allows you to find peace in your brain even when your kids are wrestling or bickering, very loudly.
It allows you to become aware of the positive emotions we are all looking to have more of in our lives like gratitude, joy, love and connection.
I used to be happy-ish often enough. But now, becoming aware of my thoughts and the present moment (mindfulness) has led me to become more than happy.
I can feel joy, sadness, frustration, enthusiasm, and inspiration in ways that sometimes sound corny. Forget the corn, I’d rather be able to feel the range of emotions this life has to offer.
After all, isn’t that what life is all about?
If you’re looking for ideas on how to start a mindfulness practice, check out these resources. I hope you’re inspired to start today. This is the way to start feeling better in your mind and your body.
Listen to this podcast hosted by Dr Mark Hyman and 3 leaders in the meditation industry
Guided 5 minute meditation
1 minute tutorial with the most basic instructions on how meditation works. You don’t have to empty your mind of thoughts. It’s normal if your mind wanders!
Download a meditation app like Insight Timer or Headspace so you can do short meditations in your car before work
PS-if you are a caregiver or work in a highly stressful environment, it is imperative you add time spent in the parasympathetic state every day. This will calm your nervous system and allow your body to feel safe. That’s how you begin to feel less anxious and irritable.
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