“To be awake is to be alive. I have never yet met a man who was quite awake. How could I have looked him in the face?”  -Henry David Thoreau, Walden

When was the last time you were really awake, alive, and aware of the world around you?

For the last several weeks, I have lived my own life half asleep. Stumbling out of bed in a state of quasi-awareness, I would mindlessly trudge to my classes, to lunch, to do homework, and to bed. The next day, I would repeat the cycle. It was as if my own life was just slipping by me without my knowledge or consent. What I was lacking was the habit of being mindful: being awake and alive to the world. This past week, I have successfully continued my running habit (yes!) but I have also been trying to focus on becoming more aware of the world.

Unfortunately, mindfulness is a habit that’s not easily picked up. And so I’ve decided to share with you some mindfulness rituals to help you appreciate every moment and make your day better. Just as clarification, these “rituals” don’t mean that you’re doing something mindlessly, but that you’re building a habit of mindfulness into your daily life. Done mindlessly, a ritual is meaningless.

Here are a few mindfulness rituals that I have been trying to practice:

1. Sit in the morning. As you open your eyes in the morning, the soft gray light of dawn is creeping into your dorm room, your roommate is snoring, and you contented to lie in your bed indefinitely. Instead of reaching for my phone or going back to sleep, I’ve been trying to sit up and take a few minutes to sit quietly by myself and think.
2. Eat mindfully. I am a chronic distracted eater. I’ll listen to NPR, read a book, or talk to my friends while mindlessly shoving food into my face. Lately, I’ve been making an effort to pay more attention to what I put into my body. Not only do I feel fuller sooner, but I also think that I’ve been eating more healthfully.
3. Walk slowly. I like to take breaks from work, and go outside for a little walk. Walk slowly, each step a practice in awareness. Instead of rushing around like all the other students, take some time to appreciate our beautiful campus!

These rituals aren’t the only time you should be mindful, but they’re great reminders. Of course, they’re just very, very small ways that I’m trying to increase my own mindfulness and to build a habit of awareness! Take the time to try one or two of these mini-habits; they’re a reward within themselves.

“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by a conscious endeavor.” –Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Quotes courtesy of one of my favorite books: Walden, by Thoreau 🙂 and the lovely picture is from http://kalyankatika.wordpress.com/2008/10/13/walden-pond-concord-ma-fall-2008