Our body is always communicating to us.  What is the message you need to hear?  Is it to slow down, take a break, or eat something nutritious?  If you are experiencing discomfort in your body, what is the best thing you can do for yourself in this moment, that does not require medication?

Perhaps it is to simply pause, close your eyes and retreat within.  Drop into non-thinking and connect with body sensations.  Take a deep breath in and as you inhale, allow compassion and peace to enter your being.  As you exhale, release any tension you feel with the out breath.  Continue doing this until you receive insights and a natural state of equilibrium returns. Balance is always available when we integrate mind and body.

When you awake each morning and start a new day, do you find yourself still wearing ‘dream glasses’ as your day progresses?  ‘Dream glasses’ are the lens of which you perceive life, revealing the stories and thoughts you hold of people, places and things around you.  Dream glasses maintain a set vision and inhibit true realities.

Approach each new day and each moment with a fresh open mind.  Develop a sense of curiosity about life.  Embrace wonder and what you don’t know in place of what you do know.  Remember that life is ever-changing, whether you see it or not.  There are always subtle changes that only practicing mindfulness reveals.

While you are busy running errands, stop for a moment in between shops and look up.  Notice the vast infinity above.  Contrast this with the finite on the ground surrounding you and recognize the similarities between you and mother earth and the sky.  You are a physical form, similar to earth and yet also spirit, similar to sky, with infinite imagination for experiencing joy and beauty in the moment.  Look up everyday and remind yourself of this.

Tickle your senses at mealtime.  Add delight to your plate by cutting fruit and vegetables into fun shapes.  Noodle, sliver, or zest them and who knows what you will come up with!  Maybe you will find a little beet bird in a nest of slivered zuchinni or a radish bunny hopping towards a baby carrot.  Perhaps there will be a fresh bouquet of broccoli flowers amidst neon greens.  Let the playful part of yourself loose and have fun being creative.  Then savour the magic you created and savour every last bite!

Approach every meal as if it were it were your very first one.  Honour the sources of your food and all the ways in which your body works to support you.  If possible, find a calm spot to enjoy your meal away from distractions.   Turn off your cell phone, resist the temptation to read or multi-task while eating.  Simply focus on enjoying the meal.

Take time to appreciate the efforts of all those who farmed, transported and prepared the food.  Take time to appreciate the earth’s soil and nourishing qualities of the sun and rain.  And then appreciate yourself for this meal and your body for all the wonder-filled ways in which it works!

Elevate your eating experience to a whole new level by incorporating your sixth sense at least once per week.  This sixth sense is not your intuition, but your sense of adventure!  Try a new food item, cultural dish or restaurant that has piqued your interest.  This may involve a strange fruit or vegetable you saw at the produce market, some enticing aroma wafting from an outdoor grill, or sights and sounds of sizzling foods delivered to a table.

Eating is one of the most wonder-filled (and wonderful!) experiences in life.  Embrace a beginners mind every time you sit down to eat.  Indulge in a variety of foods and delight your taste buds and your 6 senses with surprising concoctions like kabuli dream, stone bowl bibimbap, or koshari.  Have I piqued your interest?  I hope so!  Now it’s your turn!  Would you like to sample some of my bibimbap? (pronounced Bih-bim-bawp).  Say that 10 times and then set a day to treat yourself!

There is no doubt that doubt is a normal part of being human.  Doubt is a state of uncertainty that rises and falls with the ebb and flow of life.  When you find yourself in a pool of doubt, there is only one question you need to ask yourself and that is, “What do I fear?”  Afterwards, take yourself out for a nice long walk in a soothing environment.

For example, if you are at a turning point in your life and cannot decide which path to take, you may eventually come to realize a deep seated fear of making mistakes.  Acknowledge the paralyzing effects of fear and call upon your compassionate heart to help you walk through it.  Stay open to what arises within you.  Gentle, loving-kindness is the order of the day.

News and images of catastrophic events flash across the screen.  Footage of people in despair and engaged in rescue efforts flood your awareness.  Our body shakes with the news, as the world shakes.  Our hearts reverberate, echoing the pain of others.

At times like this, it is vital that we strengthen our love and commitment to peace, for ourselves and others.  Focusing on breath, we can say to ourselves with each inhale and exhale:

“May I be” (in breath), “at peace.” (out-breath).  Continue doing this until you feel a sense of calm within.  Then expand your wishes to others by saying:

“May you be” (in breath), “at peace.” (out breath).  When you feel a deeper sense of calm within, expand it even further by adding:

“May our world” (in breath), “be peace.” (out breath).

If you feel compelled to do so, light a candle for those who are suffering.  Send loving energy and allow any rising tears to flow.  Breathe in love.  Breathe out peace … and become peace.

Spend time in nature every day.  Allow yourself to be completely absorbed by your surroundings.  Stand under a tree, next to a creek or a flowering shrub.  Use all of your senses to fully appreciate what is before you.

Notice details you may not have seen before, smell different scents, feel the air against your skin and hear the rustling of leaves from trees high above.  Be delighted by the kiss of a dew drop, the scent of fresh pine, and crackling sounds of pine cones toasting in the afternoon sun. Awaken your senses to the moment and sink into mother nature’s embrace.  Revel in her magical ways!

Today marks the beginning of a fresh new start!  With 200 mental fitness and mindfulness tips published, we consciously turn the corner and step right onto the path of mindful living. Mindful living is the path with heart.  Loving-kindness, compassion and grace are our companions along the way.  Come journey with me, one step at a time, embracing new habits for a simpler and more peaceful way of living.

The more you do it, the easier it gets!  Regular practice is key!  Consciously commit to cultivating mindfulness in your daily life.  This weeks’ tip is to spend a few minutes each day focusing on your breath and grounding yourself in the moment:

Pick one activity you regularly do, such as brushing your teeth, boiling water, or eating a snack.  Take 5 minutes before or after the activity to simply be with yourself.  Focus on your breath and the sensation of air going in and out of your body. Allow any mental chatter to settle naturally.  This is fundamental to grounding yourself in the moment and synchronizing your mind and body.

Breathing is so automatic that we often taken it for granted.  This practice reminds us of the gift of breath and helps us to appreciate our physical body.  Breathe in love and appreciation for the gift of life everyday.