Hey Spoon Crew!

Whoa! We did it! We officially made it through our 31 days of “mindful exploration.” One full month of exploring the wide range of pathways we can follow to achieve mindfulness. I’m thrilled to say that all the tips and mindful mantras I shared with you over the past month have helped me become more present in almost every aspect of my life.

After reading what our friends at MNDFL had to say about meditation, and speaking to people who have an established meditation practice, I realized how the word “meditation” isn’t as daunting as it initially seems. There is a way to create space for mindfulness in your life: you don’t even need to change your schedule.

Before I set out on this mindfulness journey, I thought meditating meant sitting down for 30 minutes to listen to how awkward, yet relaxing, my breath sounds, while somehow keeping my mind from thinking about what I was going to eat for dinner. Spooners, this isn’t the case. You can all start or end your own mindful journey by simply creating a routine that fits with your schedule.

I found that starting a journal, (suggested by Founder & CEO of Cocokind, Priscilla Tsai) was the easiest first step to practicing mindfulness. I wrote down aspects of my life that I both wanted to pay more attention to, and be more mindful of: my skincare routine, eating habits, yoga practice, my commute. These are all daily activities that I normally do on autopilot. By paying closer attention to how I feel on my walk to work, how my yoga practice alters my body and state of mind, noticing what thoughts I have when I wake up in the morning and last thing at night, I’ve become more mindful of these moments. I’ve now begun to use these routine activities as mini meditations.

I now want to challenge you to find a space in your life where you can incorporate your own deeper, personalized meditation practice. Start by giving yourself gratitude for all the hard work you’ve put into this month-long mindfulness search. Whether you now meditate for 10 minutes in your kitchen, mindfully eat breakfast, or meditate while drinking a morning coffee, you are creating a mindfulness routine for yourself. Notice how this practice makes you feel, be honest about it, and evolve from there. It’s important to find a meditation practice that truly works for you.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus on your breath, a body part, your mantra — whatever you want to channel your energy towards. I won’t limit you.

Mindfulness has become a part of who I am, and has helped me overcome fears, anxiety, and paper tigers. I hope the content I’ve shared worked for you as much as it continue to works for me.

Xx
Alex