Mindful Manipulation

Whether you have been living a mindful life for a minute, a few months, or for years, everyone is hopeful and excited for results. Once you get your routine down, being mindful stops being something you have to work at. It becomes a part of your daily life.

When you are focused on healing a trauma that resides inside, sometimes the results are not as apparent. In fact it might be quite a while before you notice anything at all. Especially if the fruits of your labor will not show until another situation arises which could be triggering. This doesn’t mean you are not making great progress.

Though I have been practicing mindfulness for over thirty years, the trials which affected me the most deeply occurred within the last four. Even with all that practice under my belt it wasn’t until the past month that I noticed a difference.

-Mindful Breath

Practicing mindful-breathing techniques made the biggest difference, faster than I ever thought it would. When I first started learning how to breathe all over again, it drove me nuts. However, with regular practice I noticed several things rather quickly.

I found myself able to stay calmer for longer amounts of time specifically in stressful situations. I also experienced fewer full-blown panic attacks. If the signs appeared, or if I was entering a situation which would normally send me into one, mindful-breath keeps me on an even keel more often than not. This is a great skill to have when topics of conversation, or just your own thoughts take you to those panic ridden zones just as well. This is essential when you are dealing with mental and emotional trauma.

-Mindful Thought

Practicing mindful thought took longer for me to get into the swing of. I would practice, but I couldn’t seem to get my thoughts in line until after there was something to re–think. One of the more difficult things for me was to change my thought patterns. To catch negative self talk, then to prevent it, took a lot of work and still needs correction on occasion. It was a little easier to view the world differently. Optimism came pretty easily.

The harder and more often I needed to reign myself in from negativity, the less I wanted it around me. I have found myself less willing to listen to it and rarely participate. I just do not have time for it. If the conversation is too judgmental, opinionated or close-minded, worse yet, disparages others? Count me out. I am working too hard to subject myself to it. So your friends or even things you find entertaining, may change. It has for me for sure.

These were things I noticed changing first. Some others have been, less irritation/anger in general with situations or people. I have the ability to take my time and not feel rushed. This helps me to think more clearly, when before, my mind [and or speech] would stop and stutter or race so fast it would send me into a tizzy. I have also discovered I can fall asleep faster, and sleep more often without experiencing terrible nightmares.

One last note. We are entering the spring time of 2024 here. Lately the word, mindful, or mindfulness, has become a little trendy. Some are starting to use the concept too liberally. Making real change takes hard work. It isn’t available at your local superstore and you can’t buy it online. It won’t be a quick-fix product or found on a retreat. It is something that takes active participation. How you participate is up to you. It may take some time to see some kind of result. But maybe not as long as you might think, and those results will change your life, for the rest of your life.

Thanks for the read;

K~