Envision a beautiful mountain.  Perhaps it is one that you have hiked before or admired while on vacation.  See its natural beauty in your minds’ eye and feel its awe-inspiring magnificence.  Mountains reflect strength and stability through time and changing seasons.

Sit in a comfortable position, preferably with legs crossed and your body mirroring a great mountain.  Your head is the crown; your shoulders and arms, the crags and sloping sides; and your legs and buttocks, the strong foundation on which the mountain resides.  Sit in silence embodying the mountain within you.  As thoughts and emotions arise, see them as passing weather systems, never lingering for long.  This is the weather of your life.

Emotional storms and flood of thoughts are normal.  Allow them to be.  Allow them to pass like clouds drifting by.  With heightened awareness of your solid and stable self, you will gradually come to know the deeper silence within that is ever present.  This place of serenity is the awe-inspiring mountain within you.

There are many different paths we can take throughout life.  Knowing which is the right path can be daunting.  When living mindfully, all you need to do is ask the question “Am I on the right path?” and observe what comes up.  Acknowledge any insights and then let it go  Let it be.  Your right path will reveal itself when the time is right. Asking yourself questions repeatedly raises awareness and brings important matters into your consciousness.  Know that your path or anyone else’s, is not something that can be specifically articulated.  It reveals itself one step at a time and speaks to the heart. Listen closely to your hearts’ tugging.  Where do you yearn to be?  Let your heart be your guide, moment, by moment.  Your ‘right path’ can only be determined by you.

Living mindfully means renewing yourself each and every day.  When you embrace change and growth as a natural part of life, you are more likely to stay open in the moment and consciously respond instead of reverting back to old habits that no longer serve you well.

For instance, if you find yourself feeling angry, you may choose to observe the emotion as an energy passing through you instead of allowing it to consume you.  Mindfully choose calmness by focusing on your breath and seeing yourself as ever-changing for the better.

Staying open in the moment makes space for positive change and the very best of you in each rising moment.

Take a moment today to practice being generous towards yourself.  Give something that is not necessarily material or tangible, but something that comes from your core being.  Perhaps it is a genuine smile, acknowledgement of a job well done, or appreciation for making time to take good care of yourself.

This may sound strange as we are more accustomed to being generous with others but the practice of inward generosity is one of the foundations of mindfulness.  When we cultivate generosity towards ourself without conditions, we build our capacity to be generous in the external world without expectations for any returns or gains.  Eventually, we come to realize that the more we genuinely give of ourselves, the more we naturally receive. Don’t wait another moment.  Cultivate generosity within as a necessary basic for living mindfully.

Insights often come when we least expect.  Insight, as defined in the dictionary, is: 1) a sudden perception of the solution to a problem or difficulty; 2) the capacity of understanding hidden truths especially of characters or situations.  Living mindfully is key to receiving valuable insights.  When we are fully present in the moment, we are much more likely to receive solutions and hidden truths.  Sometimes these are very subtle like a sudden thought or feeling within, or quite obvious.

The headline of an investment newsletter read “Transform uncertainty into confidence“, followed by “Managing your emotions is one of the most important factors impacting investment success.”  The image above the words is two buds erupting from rich dark soil.  Pausing to ponder the significance of these may reveal hidden truths and solutions that are relevant to your life right now.

Ask yourself “What does this mean to me?”  Does the rich soil infer a need to change something in your environment to achieve growth?  Are your emotions currently blocking you from moving forward in life?  Perhaps these are important insights that deserve your attention right now.  One of the greatest benefits of living mindfully is receiving insights such as these.  Their sources are often surprising so stay open to what each moment presents!

Summer is here. Long hot days and balmy nights replace the cold short days of winter. News of growing wildfires, decreasing air quality and rising temperatures dominate the news.  Enjoying summer can sometimes be challenging and adapting well to dramatic seasonal changes requires mindful awareness.

Anxiety, worry, and sleep problems are common during the summer months.  Break away from limiting thought patterns and bring awareness to inner dialogue about specific problems you may be experiencing.  For instance, if you find yourself saying “I do not sleep well in the heat” or “The heat drains me”, these words only affirm old patterns, ensuring they will remain a problem.

Replace limited thoughts with more positive statements that support wellness and build confidence in yourself.  Choose to say “I always sleep well when I prioritize self-care” or “I am wiser each year and can adapt successfully to hot weather” instead.  Rehearse positive statements aloud and say them with deep conviction, believing it is your reality.  In time, you will notice the difference and old limiting patterns will fade into the past like distant memories!

What nourishes you?  What nourishes you DEEPLY?  As you go about your daily activities, make a mental note of what nourishes you deeply.  It is those activities and experiences that soothes you, brings joy to your heart and naturally feels good.

Perhaps it is time alone, time with a loved one or a favourite pet.  Deep nourishment may involve a long walk on the beach, dining outdoors under a canopy of trees, or a leisurely soak in the tub or pool of water.  Create a list of all the things that nourish you deeply and add to your list regularly.  Whenever life gets hectic and challenging, refer back to this list to remind yourself of the many things you can do to mindfully regain balance!

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.