The truth is, you can only live in the here and now. This is the only moment in which you can many any changes. When you identify with stress, tension overwhelm or chronic pain, you may think of it as a long-term problem or life sentence, and this attitude can take you out of the present moment and increase your suffering. Mindfulness teaches you to be here and now. You don’t know what the future may bring, and you really don’t know if the stress and pain will last forever. Through mindfulness practice, you can learn to be with pain one moment at a time and develop an attitude of “let’s see if I can be with pain at this moment. If pain arises in the next moment, I’ll deal with it then.
As you deepen your practice of mindfulness, you’ll reconnect with yourself and discover new strategies to work with tension and pain. As you learn to let go of the past and not to cling to a specific vision of the future, you’ll be able to see things as they are in the moment, with a growing sense of freedom and possibilities.
Mindful Breathing
Instructions for mindful breathing
You can do mindful breathing in any position – sitting, lying down, or standing or even while moving about.
- Take a comfortable position, one that supports you in being awake.
- Turn your attention on purpose to the direct physical sensations happening as you breathe. You may wish to close your eyes if it helps you focus attention on your breath sensations.
- Find a place in your body, the tip of your nose, or your abdomen, for example, when you can actually feel the breath moving in and out.
- Rest your attention where you can feel your breath most easily.
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