By Bhuwan Onta, Assessment Specialist  

Many people ask how they can be more focused and attentive while working or engaging in important business. I think the solution lies in understanding meditation and mindfulness. Let’s begin with meditation. What is meditation? Meditation is a state of our being when our mind is not clouded with thoughts or emotions. Meditation is to be in the present moment. When we are in a meditative state, we act with mindfulness. Mindfulness may be considered the outcome of meditation. As we practice meditation and develop our skills to remain calm and centered, we tend to be more mindful of our actions. 

So, mindfulness in action is simply bringing awareness to what we are doing and being fully present in each moment. This helps us to become efficient in what we do, and we enjoy what we do. When we are mindful, we remain vigilant of what we are experiencing in the present moment and we live that experience fully, so there will be no regret of missing that moment. And that is fulfilling. So, how can we practice mindfulness in action? We can practice mindfulness with almost anything but let’s begin with two simple actions: eating and talking.  

Mindfulness in eating
 
We eat when we are hungry so that we can be ready to tackle a task that is waiting for our action. When we eat in a rush, it’s so easy to miss the taste, flavor, and texture of what we are eating. Sometimes only when we have a bite or two left, do we realize the food is super tasty and we missed the simple pleasure of eating. So, we are left unsatisfied, and the craving is still there. 

When we eat with mindfulness, we are attentive to the food, cherish the food we eat and we can be grateful for the food on our plate. So, we need to slow down a little bit and observe the food on our plate – its color, shape, aroma, and every other detail, and be more alive at that moment. We need to be present when we touch the food. We need to feel the texture and warmth of the food and acknowledge when we are holding the food and putting it in our mouths. There are so many steps involved in such a simple task and the minute details can only be experienced through mindfulness. Then we enjoy chewing the food, savoring it, and we remain aware of the movement of the food in the mouth and be present to any sensation that it is giving. After crushing and chewing and converting the food into a swallowable round ball, we experience the food making its passage inward. When we practice mindfulness in eating, we eat less and enjoy more, and the food is better digested. This way we are fully satiated and there will be no craving for more food.  
 

Mindfulness in Speech

When we are attentive to our speech, we foster better relationships. Being mindful of our speech means listening to what we are saying when we are saying it. Every word that we utter is coming from our choice as a response, not as a reaction. This helps us to be more selective of proper language in our speech, so it saves us from getting into the vicious cycle of conflict and confrontation. Being mindful helps us to be more humane and nourish our relationships with each other. When we speak with awareness, we choose words with great care and focused on the listener. Mindfulness in speech frees us.  
 

How can I practice meditation?  

One of the most popular and simple meditation techniques is mindfulness meditation. Make yourself comfortable with your back straight and try to be aware of in-breath and out-breath. It is always better to start with deep breathing. Just make sure that you are not making yourself uncomfortable. So, focus on inhaling and exhaling with joy. The goal here is to fill in as much oxygen as possible in your lungs and let it go. When we have an abundance of oxygen in our system, we think and perform better. We can practice deep breathing anytime and anywhere. So, whenever you feel anxious or stressed, make a habit of breathing in deeper. This will help you in managing your stress. However, when you practice meditation, let your breath be normal. Simply bring your awareness to your breath by noticing the incoming breath and outgoing breath. If your focus is not sharp, take a few deep breaths and resume normal breathing. You need to be vigilant of your breath. Like deep breathing, you can practice this technique anywhere and anytime. You can start with a few minutes and increase your practice as you feel more comfortable.  

Enjoy deep breathing and claim your presence in the new year!