Mindfulness Skills (Part 2) and Practicing "Outside the Box"

Today's podcast episode continues our discussion on Mindfulness Skills, picking up from Part 1 (which was Ep. 83). This topic explores the possibilities for growth and greater freedom that come from pursuing a mindful path. And, with a combination of traditional methods and outside-the-box practices, mindfulness can be more accessible, relevant, and personalized for each of us. I'm using the term "skill" very deliberately, because skills are learnable – they are qualities or tools we can train in and develop. Mindfulness practices also have many benefits for our health and well-being, but I think of skills as being more intentional in nature. When we know what mindfulness skills are, we can develop them in all kinds of activities, from traditional meditation, to mindful movement, to hobbies, daily tasks, exercise, work, play, and more.  In this episode, I cover Mindfulness Skills 10-20. (I discussed 1-9 in Episode 83, so if you missed that one, you may want to start there.) This is by no means the definitive list of mindfulness skills – you could certainly name more – but I think it's enough to point to the breadth and depth of transformation that mindfulness can bring. 20 Mindfulness Skills: Being present (present-moment awareness) Embodiment (being in your body) Steady Focus Ability to shift attention Deep Listening Intention Non-judgment (suspending interpretation) Being with emotions without getting lost in them Decreasing Reactivity Acceptance (allowing things to be as they are) Recognizing impermanence Observing thoughts and tracking thought patterns Investigation Relaxing identification with emotions and thoughts Noticing habits that create more stress or suffering Letting Go Increasing kindness, compassion, and empathy Cultivating appreciation and gratitude Developing Patience Nurturing Perseverance   Each skill could truly be its own podcast episode, so here I try to introduce them (relatively briefly) with a few quotes, images, Buddhist concepts, and personal anecdotes sprinkled in to provide a sketch of the terrain. Part of what inspired this topic is that many people over the years have mentioned to me that running, or baking bread, or crocheting (or another activity) is their meditation. If you feel at all meditative while doing an activity, I hope you will build on that! Learning about mindfulness skills can help you identify what positive qualities your favorite practice is growing – and where the gaps may be. So, in this episode, I offer examples of working on mindfulness skills as you would in traditional meditation, but also in mindful movement and in a creative array of other forms. The possibilities are infinite!   For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast. And, you can sign up for your "Library Card" to access this month's FREE practices in the Moved To Meditate Class Library! Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, pictures of Pacific Northwest nature, crocheting projects, and my adorable kitty, Mustache).