Life can feel fragmented when we separate our experiences.  Different activities, groups  and various responsibilities may contribute to a sense of disconnect in our lives.  Bring continuity to your one great life by viewing yourself as a fluid and flexible being at the center of all your experiences.

Bring awareness to transitions between variables.  Those moments in between are just as much a part of your life as the activities themselves.  Every moment of your one great life has value and is worthy of attention.  Pause during transitions to breathe a sigh of gratitude.  Practice centering yourself regularly throughout the day to stay connected.

Life is a stream of activities.  We go from school to career to retirement.  We shower, we go to work, we exercise, cook, clean and run errands.  At the end of the day, we recount our accomplishments, mark things off of our eternal to-do list and assess our degree of productivity.  On days where seemingly little is accomplished, we may feel disappointed and vow to work harder the next day.

If you find yourself in this endless loop of doing and judging, stop and ask yourself if there is a better approach to life.  Endless doing leads to exhaustion and constant judging leads to disappointment.  Rest in what is and accept the ebb and flow of life.

Accept that some days are more productive than others and that days of low productivity naturally offset busy productive days.  See each day as perfectly unfolding the story of your life, knowing you did the best you could.  End judgement with self-compassion and gratitude for all you have in life.  Inner peace awaits when you step out of the endless loop of doing and judging.

Living gracefully is an art anyone can cultivate.  Whether your day is cloudy or bright, challenging or light, bring personal integrity to each and every moment.  Aim for attention over distraction, presence over absence, and personal excellence over perfectionism.

For example, when meeting another person, whether it be for the first time or one hundredth time, aim to be attentive, upbeat, and punctual.  Bring your full attention to the present moment.  Turn off electronic devices beforehand and commit to quality  time for both yourself and the other person.  Be aware of any labels or judgements about yourself or others.  Let them go and find the quiet inner side of yourself that is a neutral and compassionate observer.  Make presence a habit in life and grace will be your natural companion.

Beliefs are powerful.  If you believe something is true or possible, it will likely be your reality.  Similar to the placebo effect where pill-like candies remedy problems, insights may well be the perfect solution to problems and any discomforts you feel.

For example, if you are faced with a difficult decision, remove yourself from stressors and allow yourself adequate downtime and relaxation for insights to arise.  Follow through with those that you strongly attracted to and repeatedly arise.  If you regularly experience tension headaches, bring awareness to the number of breaks you allow yourself, water you consume and dehydrating food sources.  A change in habits including regular scheduled breaks may be all that you really need.  Breaks can be as simple as closing your eyes, taking a few deep breaths and allowing your mind to relax for a few minutes.

Mindfulness brings awareness to the big picture.  If you are in the habit of reaching for quick fixes from the medicine cabinet or the local coffee shop, pause for a moment and shift to a different way of being.  Explore holistic alternatives with long-term benefits.  Honor yourself and your life with your own natural abilities to heal.

Mindfulness is like tuning into your own radio station.  The frequencies you connect to are those from your mind, body and heart.  Messages from your mind convey wisdom and insight, from your body, stress and muscle tension, and from your heart, sadness or delight.  Tune into yourself throughout the day to connect with your inner knowing.

For instance, some tasks can be all-consuming especially when there is a rigid timeline involved.  We may become so focused on getting the job done that we lose awareness of tension building within.  There might be dull pain, cramping or increasing stress signals.  Bring awareness to these sensations and you will be more apt to respond in a timely way before problems escalate.

Exercise:  Try pausing throughout your day to tune into your mind, body, and heart.  Stop what you are doing and ask yourself , “What am I noticing in this moment?” and “What is going on for me right now?”  Perhaps you need to consider a different perspective or approach, or take a break.  Make time to pause regularly throughout your day and check in with yourself.  Enhanced quality of life comes naturally and easily when your are consistently tuned in.

Honour all parts of your experience.  Honour the enjoyable and the not so enjoyable parts, the challenging and the easy.  Let go of elevating certain aspects while rejecting others.  See value in every part of your experience.

For example, with meals, do you find yourself saying, “I love home cooked meals but dislike all the preparation involved” or “I like having a variety of fresh produce in my home but really dislike grocery shopping”.  Remind yourself that mundane activities are just as important as stimulating ones.  Honour the entire experience and you will find yourself experiencing more inner peace and contentment throughout life.

Mindfulness creates space for us to move from old mindless reactions to mindful responses.  Mindfulness allows us to look at difficulties with an open mind.  Rather than focusing attention on the difficulty itself, we instead look within to discover how we can best meet the difficulty.

For instance, if you find yourself stuck in traffic and know you will be late for an appointment, you can either fall into reactivity or choose to respond mindfully.  If typical reactions involve worry and obsessing about possible consequences, bring your awareness to the current moment.  Realize that the most important thing you need to do is focus on getting yourself safely to your destination.  If worrisome thoughts dominate your experience, you run the risk of putting yourself into more difficulties.  Ground yourself in the reality of the current moment.  You are stuck in traffic but you are also alive and well.  Breathe deeply, feeling satisfaction from this truth and await for more mindful responses to arise.

Mindfulness is achieved through mindfulness meditation, a practice that harmonizes mind and body.  With focus on being fully present in the moment, we can purposely calm ourselves in the heat of stressful situations and create space for healthy adaptive responses.  The key to success is practice.  Practice regularly and practice often.  Practice during calm periods before difficulties arise.  Set aside time every day to develop the habit of accessing inner peace at will.

Stress is a growing concern for many.  Take a proactive approach to managing stress and attend a free 30 minute seminar on the healing power of mindfulness.  This event takes place during the Healthy Living Fair in Port Coquitlam on Saturday, February 15, 2014, starting at 11:30 a.m. in Room #1.  Come visit the Mind Master booth and enter to win a free consultation or Stress Management seminar.

The Healthy Living Fair has something for adults of all ages.  Admission is Free!  Check out what’s new and familiarize yourself with over 50 other health and wellness services available in the Tri-Cities.  This fair runs for one day only, from 10:00 am to 2:00 at Wilson Centre, 2150 Wilson Avenue, Port Coquitlam.  Hope to see you there!

Life can feel mundane especially when filled with routine activities from morning to night, seven days a week.  Days can blur into weeks and weeks into months.  Lack of variety and interest with routines may dull our senses and take away appreciation for life.  What do you take for granted?  Work? Meals? Home life?  Take a giant step backwards and remind yourself of the value of life-sustaining routines.

Work provides structure and purpose, while cooking and cleaning provide basics for wellness.  Routines are grounding forces that help to maintain normalcy when calamity strikes.  Appreciate routines for all the goodness they bring.  Appreciate all of the little nurturing things you do each day to maintain good health and comfort.  Take nothing for granted.  That is what mindfulness is all about!

The opposite of mindfulness is mindlessness.  When we are on auto-pilot, acting out of habit without questioning ourselves and the impact of our choices, we fall into the fog of mindlessness.  In this fog, our thought processes take a back seat while mindless doing prevails.  Acting without forethought, we numb ourselves to realities of the present moment and neglect deeper truths.  Bring mindfulness back by consciously stopping the doing and surrender to being.

For instance, with the habit of worrying in the middle of the night, surrender your thoughts to breath.  Bring awareness to the present moment, focusing on each inhale and each exhale.  Bring awareness to appreciation for this most precious gift in life: your breath.  When thoughts arise, as they always will, do not engage in them but allow them float away effortlessly.  Maintain focus on breath and peaceful gratitude for the gift of life.