{"id":13330,"date":"2013-03-27T09:07:10","date_gmt":"2013-03-27T17:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=13330"},"modified":"2013-03-28T20:15:34","modified_gmt":"2013-03-29T04:15:34","slug":"7-ways-mindfulness-can-help-you-lose-weight-stress-less-and-discover-your-joy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/7-ways-mindfulness-can-help-you-lose-weight-stress-less-and-discover-your-joy\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways Mindfulness Can Help You Lose Weight, Stress Less And Discover Your Joy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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<\/p>\n

“Get out of your head and into your heart.\u00a0 Think less, feel more.”\u00a0 Osho<\/p>\n

I used to joke that I didn\u2019t even have time to notice the roses, let alone smell them!\u00a0 I wasn\u2019t alone.\u00a0 We rush from activity to activity, frantically crossing items from our to do lists, multi-tasking, racing against time.<\/p>\n

Mindfulness has been a tool to enable me to step off the treadmill of life and live in the moment.\u00a0 While it remains a work in progress, the effects are life-changing.<\/p>\n

What is mindfulness?\u00a0 It is a way of being.\u00a0 Jon Kabat Zinn describes it as \u2018paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally\u2019.<\/p>\n

When we are mindful, we are fully present.<\/p>\n

Here are 7 simple ways that mindfulness can help you to transform your life.<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0 Increase your enjoyment of your favorite foods and reduce your calories <\/strong>– It sounds like magic doesn\u2019t it?\u00a0 Many of us eat while we\u2019re doing something else, whether it is reading the newspaper or catching up online.\u00a0 As one of the world\u2019s fastest eaters, even after indulging in a treat, I would often have no memory of having eaten more than the first bite.<\/p>\n

Using mindfulness I could savor every mouthful and really immerse myself in the experience of eating.\u00a0 I found my enjoyment of the experience went through the roof and ironically I didn\u2019t need as much, automatically reducing my calories.\u00a0 Double win.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0 You may discover that you don\u2019t even LIKE your favorite treat <\/strong>–<\/span>I\u2019ve been a chocaholic forever.\u00a0 However, when I slowed down and ate chocolate mindfully, I found it too sweet and it left a heavy, rich aftertaste in my mouth that I didn\u2019t like.\u00a0 Amazing.\u00a0 Try it with the tiniest piece of your favorite treat.\u00a0 What does it smell like, how does it feel on your tongue?\u00a0 What does it REALLY taste like?\u00a0 Does the taste change over time?\u00a0 Do you feel differently about your favorite treat now?<\/p>\n

3.\u00a0 Using mindfulness you may realize that while you thought that you wanted food, you actually need something else <\/strong>–<\/span> Comfort eating is a normal part of life and most of us do it to some degree or another.\u00a0 But it can be a big source of extra calories and we aren\u2019t really giving our bodies what they need because we haven\u2019t taken the time to listen to them.\u00a0 By being mindful and \u2018checking in\u2019, I would often find that instead of food, I wanted something quite different.\u00a0 Perhaps to step off the world for 10 or 15 minutes and put my feet up with a coffee and my favorite magazine.<\/p>\n

In being mindful, we have the opportunity to nurture our beautiful bodies with what they really need, instead of stuffing them full of extra calories and carrying on regardless.<\/span><\/p>\n

4.\u00a0 Stress less <\/strong>–<\/span>Mindfulness gives us an opportunity to step away from the thinking mind \u2013 the stories, the drama, the anxiety, the worry.\u00a0 Perhaps we\u2019re rehashing an old argument or worrying needlessly about an imagined future.\u00a0 Living in the present moment, free from judgment, we know peace.<\/p>\n

5.\u00a0 Body awareness <\/strong>–<\/span>In our stressful, busy lives,we give little thought to our bodies.\u00a0 Our breathing is shallow, rapid and inefficient. Our muscles are tense.\u00a0 We continue on blissfully unaware.\u00a0 Mindfulness brings our attention to our bodies.\u00a0 We can breathe deeper, slower.\u00a0 We can relax our shoulders and correct our posture.\u00a0 We can listen to our body\u2019s natural wisdom.<\/p>\n

6.\u00a0 Enhance our relationship with people – <\/strong>It is difficult to really connect with people when we are caught up worrying about the future or rehashing the past.\u00a0 Being mindful we might notice that the woman on the checkout is looking sad and take the time to brighten her day.\u00a0 We\u2019ve all been in the company of someone whose gift is to make us feel that we are the only person in the whole world.\u00a0 In being present and connecting with others, we become like that.\u00a0 Our relationships benefit because we take the time to be really present with those we love.<\/p>\n

7.\u00a0 Notice life\u2019s simple joys <\/strong>–<\/span>Whether it is the way the dew glistens on a spider web or the clean, fresh smell of morning, life is in high definition.\u00a0 Clearer.\u00a0 Sharper. Sweeter.<\/p>\n

Life is the present moment.\u00a0 Mindfulness is a tool to allow us to really live.<\/p>\n

Claire Kerslake is a health coach, registered nurse and credentialed diabetes educator who is the founder of Loving Life With Diabetes,<\/span><\/a> a website and blog where you\u2019ll find the motivation, inspiration and support to help you create healthy habits in your life.\u00a0 She developed the online program Renew,<\/span><\/a> so you can release weight, cultivate health and create wellness in your life.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Mindfulness has been a tool to enable me to step off the treadmill of life and live in the moment. While it remains a work in progress, the effects are life-changing.<\/p>\n

What is mindfulness? It is a way of being. Jon Kabat Zinn describes it as \u2018paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally\u2019.
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