Mindfulness is the practice of being present to our experience in a non-judgmental way. From this we can both deepen our appreciation of the moment as well as recognize when we enter into a state of mind that does not serve us. Mindfulness is something that we begin to cultivate in small intervals, when we remember to be mindful. Later, we are more consistently mindful during the day. Finally, mindfulness becomes a part of us and we are fully present to our mind and our experience all day long.
The extent to which we remember to be mindful during the day is the extent to which mindfulness can benefit our life. It is easy to remember to be mindful when we have an alarm set throughout the day to remind us. There are many apps out there to remind us to be mindful throughout the day. One is an app called MindBell which is made specifically for the purpose of bringing us back to mindfulness. In it you can use a timer that will make the sound of a meditation bell at any interval of time you set it at. The default is every 15 minutes. You can also set it to work during particular hours of the day and on specific days. I recommend if you are just starting to have it remind you at least once every hour if not more. This will get you into a good flow. You can decrease or increase the interval at your leisure. Once you have integrated mindfulness into your daily life you can slowly wean yourself off the bell to just be mindful and remember the moment.
Mindfulness has a powerful transformative effect on our lives. We appreciate life more, we are more loving, more patient, and more forgiving. We let go of negative states of mind like anger, fear, frustration, pride, jealousy, and selfishness. Our relationships improve in our work, friendships, family, and romantic relationships. We are more capable of doing our work because we are more at ease and present, able to focus better and not be so cluttered or stressed. Overall, we live life happier and with a deeper and lasting sense of contentment. May you take on the practice of mindfulness to begin the profound path of self-cultivation.