In keeping with the spirit of the title, this is not a lengthy exploration of mindfulness in its entirety. (Plenty of far more experienced and knowledgeable people have done that!). Rather, consider this a TLDR primer of the power of the mindful minute.
Do not underestimate the power of a mindful minute. Being mindful is not about relaxation, rather it is about being able to sit with your feelings and emotions without judgement. There are no wrong feelings or emotions, and we get so used to wanting uncomfortable feelings to go away. We distract, doom scroll, over work, drink to excess, engage in dangerous behaviour, ignore our inner voice. We engage what I call the ‘racing brain’ – we race forward to the next thought or action or task, or we race backwards to the past to ruminate or regret. Mindfulness keeps us in the here and now – the present. This helps the brain to manage overwhelm and stress, and to recalibrate itself to a useful and helpful state.
When was the last time you just sat in silence and awareness for a minute? Or walked mindfully for a minute without judging your thoughts, getting caught in your thoughts, or without planning a mental to do list. Without distraction. Without censorship. Without racing brain. Without listening to a podcast.
If you can start a practice where you allow yourself to just be, even just for a minute, it can do wonders.
If a whole minute of relative silence is a bit too much to start with, or you can’t get out into a calm natural space, please enjoy this nature based track – can you try one minute of mindfulness? Try it every day for a week, does it change anything for you?
