From Chaos to Calm: Mastering Mindfulness with Breath and Beyond

I don’t know about you but in my experience, focusing on the present moment in this busy world often presents its challenges. Constant distractions can easily command our attention and throw us down a worry ridden spiral into the past or an anxiety inducing panic over the future. Either way, past or future, they are both impossible to control. So how do we let go? It’s all about bringing ourselves into the present moment because this, magnificent souls, is where we shine and this is where we are in our full power and we do this through mindfulness. So, In the spirit of stretching our mindfulness muscles, here are some of my most favorite techniques for bringing myself out from under the abyss of worry and anxiety and back into the present moment.

Mindfulness is all about using your senses to bring your awareness into the now. Let’s talk about touch, taste, and smell.

Guiradeli Chocolates are one of my favorite little deserts. In fact, just one is the perfect sized sweet treat for enjoying a mindful moment. To incorporate as many of my senses as possible, I feel the bumps and ridges of the chocolate square through the wrapper with my fingers. Listen to the soft crinkle as I open the wrapper then the slight pop of outer chocolate as I crack it in half. I watch the caramel ooze out of the center then breathe in the scent of the candy. I take a small bite and let it melt in my mouth and allow myself to take the time to savor the smooth chocolate, the buttery caramel, and the hint of sea salt each time I enjoy a small bite. You get the idea. The great thing is, this technique can be used with any food.

Using your sense of smell and taste with Tea blends is also a satisfying way to enjoy a mindful moment. Whether you know what’s in the blend or it is a complete mystery either way, breathing in its scents and bringing your awareness to the temperature, texture, and flavors in the tea really helps with activating your awareness of the present moment.

Essential oils and oil blends have a similar effect with bringing you into the now. Breathing in the scent of a given blend and using your sense of smell to discern what plant oils were used to make that specific blend is another favorite way to calm worries from the past and anxieties about the future and give yourself the gift of the present.

Another favorite techniques of mine to use a stone or crystal. I will hold just one at a time and allow myself to notice the coolness of its surface when I pick it up, the smooth or rough texture, its color variations and how they shift and change in the light. I will the. Hold it in my palm, close my eyes and feel its energy. Does it shift the feeling in a specific area of my body? Bring lift, grounding or a new vibration into my being?

Last but not least, the most powerful way to bring yourself into the moment is to focus on your breath. Focus on the element of air flowing in through your nose then let it out through your mouth. Allow your breath to gradually become deeper and slower. If your mind wanders just notice your thoughts, acknowledge them, then bring your focus back to your breath. This brings you into the present moment, into your true power and is the foundation for all meditation practices.

So embrace the sweetness of each moment, much like savoring a fine piece of chocolate or a comforting cup of tea. As we journey through the textures of life, let the aroma of essential oils and the energy of crystals guide us back to the present. With each mindful breath, we dance with the rhythm of now, transcending worries and anxieties. Here's to a life flavored with mindful awareness and the power it brings.

With mindfulness and presence,