Increasing Mindfulness

Question: Did you feel well rested this morning? Did you notice the birds chirping? Okay, that was two questions, but you’ll understand shortly. It’s a busy busy world, we feel the push to do more with less time too. After work you catch up with the cleaning while keeping an eye on the dinner and on the kids. We plan our days while listening to the daily news and commuting, and then comes the weekend. For us the weekend is just code for ‘extra day of work’. In this rush to get everything done, meet all those deadlines, you may find you are losing your connection to the present moment. This can cause you to miss out on what your actually doing and feeling. Did you know there’s a natural solution to this very common problem?

The ancient art of purposely focusing your attention on the present and accepting it without judgment is called Mindfulness. Mindfulness has been found to be very instrumental in reducing stress and increasing overall happiness. The practice of Mindfulness often involves meditation and has been shown to have a range of health benefits from improved sleep to decreased anxiety in multiple studies.

To learn more about mindfulness and how it can change your life check out The American Mindfulness Research Association.

Here are some simple ways to increase Mindfulness:

• Just take a break. Increasing your Mindfulness doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. Don’t try to go for the gold and meditate for long stretches of time at first. Start small and take a few minutes at the beginning of each day to reflect, breathe, and simply be in the now.

• Refocus your thoughts. Technology has made multitasking too easy. With a lot going on, and a even more to get done in a day, thoughts can quickly jump from one task to another. This can put a big damper on the productivity of your day. When it starts to get to be a bit much, pause take a breath and focus on one task for a while. Taking a little break to focus will help relieve stress and replenish your motivation.
• Say yes to the healthy eats. Eating sugary foods affects not only the waistline, inflammation, but also emotions and overall feelings of well-being. The mind needs to be fed a healthy diet just as much as the rest of your body. Mindfully enjoy your meal by turning off distracting electronics and focus on the food.

• Think of others. Although mindfulness is a practice that puts a lot of emphasis on the self it will affect the way you interact with those around them. Take the time to indulge that focus and think about others and increase the bounds of your empathy.

Teas to Complement Mindfulness:

• Renovation Tea: Vanilla Rooibos Tea— Derived from traditional medicine this Free Trade all Organic herbal tea rich and warm with the aroma of vanilla and the mellow rooibos herb.
  • Ingredients: organic vanilla, organic rooibos

• Renovation Tea: White Peony Tea— Is a Free Trade all Organic herbal tea with the same antioxidants found in green tea, but in greater quantity.
  • Ingredients: organic white peony

Healthy Eats:  Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large bunch cilantro
• 1 large bunch parsley (optional)
• 2 scallion stalks, very finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and very finely chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon Renovation Tea: Healing Sprinkles Spice Blend
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
• Renovation Tea: Healthy Sprinkles
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for serving
• 4 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced
• 4 teaspoons capers, rinsed and drained
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Finely chop 3/4 the cilantro and parsley leaves and transfer the chopped leaves to a medium bowl.
2. Add scallions, jalapeño, garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar.
3. Stir in ½ of a cup of olive oil, reserving the rest for dressing.
4. Taste and add more salt, vinegar as needed.
5. Scatter the whole cilantro and parsley leaves over 4 serving plates. Fan the sliced and peeled avocados out on top, and sprinkle lightly with fine salt to taste.
6. Spoon the dressing over the avocado.
7. Top with capers, Renovation Tea: Healthy Sprinkles, salt, and pepper.
8. Enjoy!

**All alternative and natural remedies recommended here should be taken under doctors supervision. Always consult your physician before beginning any herbal program. This general information is not intended to diagnose any medical condition or to replace your healthcare professional. Consult with your healthcare professional to design an appropriate herbal treatment.