Mindfulness – everybody hears about it and they have all kinds of ideas of what mindfulness is. A lot of times, they think it’s this really complicated thing and that you really have to do the whole kung fu thing to be mindful. But you don’t have to.

Once mindfulness dawns on you, you realize it’s just about being aware. When you’re aware of the fact that you’re not aware, you switch back to being aware again. It’s such a simple concept but it can take a long time for some people to get there.

Janet Fouts, the author of the book Microdosed Mindfulness, identifies self-judgment as the biggest hurdle of a person’s mindfulness journey. When you stop to recognize that judgment, you begin to back away and get centered.

Recognize that it’s okay to come back to it. That’s part of the process. So don’t be hard on yourself if you didn’t get to meditate today. All you need are these microdoses, these moments to start living mindfully instead of practicing mindfulness.

Just Notice

“Notice” is the simplest version of awareness. 

Here’s a simple awareness practice you can do. Hold your hands for a second in front of you and take a look at the back of your hands. Notice what they look like. This might be something you haven’t done in a very long time. Have they changed? What colors are there? What textures are there? Does bringing your attention to your hands actually make them feel different? 

This simple practice only takes a few seconds but it will help you become more present and allow you to handle stress much more easily. 

When we’re aware and paying attention, we become better human beings. 

How to Get Started with your Mindfulness Practice

Allow yourself to not feel good. If you allow it, the energy that you’ve noticed will pass. Otherwise, if you run away from it, it’s still going to be there when you get back. So just learn to slowly do this over time.

If you want to learn more about starting a mindfulness practice to find your way out of pain, check out Episode 135: Microdosed Mindfulness with Janet Fouts