A Runner in Real Life: 8 Ways to Practice Mindfulness Everyday

Disclaimer: I was provided clothing from prAna in exchange for this blog post. All opinions are mine.

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"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. "

~ Ferris Bueller's Day Off

If I was to pick a word to focus on for 2018, it would have to be the word mindful. It seems that everywhere you turn, there's an article or post on being more mindful. Is that a bad thing? Everyone is in a hurry, we've all got too much on our plates, and something's got to give.

Being reminded to slow down and be present in the moment is a good thing, in my opinion. Here are few ways you can integrate more mindfulness into every day.

Wake up early before the rest of the world. 
My favorite time of day is the early morning while everyone is still asleep. I wait for my coffee to brew as I catch up on the news or peruse the blogs. Giving myself that time sets the perfect tone for the day. I hate being rushed, even if it means giving up a few extra minutes of sleep. Maybe you'll get lucky and catch the sunrise.

I caught this beautiful sunrise in Florida last March.

Savor your food.
Eating mindfully is one the healthiest things you can do for yourself. Do you eat on the run or do you plan your meals, cook from scratch, and sit down with your loved ones to eat? Ordering carry out is so much easier but do you know what you actually are eating? When you eat, do you shovel the food in or do you savor the flavors? Eating is a sensory experience. Take in the aroma, feel the texture of the food in your mouth as you chew it, and enjoy the flavors.

Turn off the screens. 
At home, I'm not a big TV watcher. If there's nothing decent to watch, I'd rather not have it on at all.

Read a book.
I love to read. Sometimes I find my mind wandering when I'm reading the book and after a few pages, I realize that I don't remember a thing that I've read. That reminds me to be more mindful and focus on the words on the page.

Play with your kids. Play with your dog.
When my boys were little, Saturday night was family game night. My boys are grown now and those nights are long gone. While I miss those days, I'm so glad we spent those evenings playing together instead of zoning out in front of the TV.  Now I have a dog who loves to play fetch. She's never without her ball and is always up for chasing it. She won't let you multitask either. It's all about her and the ball.

Cocoa loves her tennis ball!

Do yoga.
You cannot properly practice yoga without being present and mindful. Otherwise, it is just another form of exercise. The beauty of yoga is turning the focus inward on your breath and your body. By focusing on your body in space, the poses have more meaning. I struggle with balance poses and it's probably because I'm distracted by thoughts running through my mind. It's important to acknowledge those thoughts when they happen and then put them aside.

Breathe. Just breathe. Breathe.
When I'm not doing yoga, I try to remind myself to breathe. When you are at a red light, instead of reaching for the phone to check your messages, take that moment to breathe. My Apple Watch has a Breathe App that I have set for one minute every hour. I don't always breathe every hour but when I do that minute of focused breathing, I feel much calmer. There are a lot of breathing apps and one that I like is called Calm.

Choose clothing made responsibly.
We live in a world of inexpensive, disposable goods. Do you ever consider the origin of your clothing? prAna focuses on sustainability to ensure that their impact on the world is positive. prAna sources environmentally sustainable materials and partners with manufacturers that treat people fairly and safely. Their packaging is natural and they continue to work to reduce the use of plastic bags. I love how they wrap the items in hemp twine. The tags, made from recycled paper, are attached with twine. No safety pins and no plastic tag fasteners.

I was fortunate to receive prAna's Leda pants and Ostara top to wear and review. I love the pattern on the Leda pants and the attention to detail. These soft, stretchy pants aren't just leggings. There are 2 patch pockets on the back and stitched seams up the front of the legs, giving them a nice touch of style. They are high waisted and super comfortable. The Ostara top is loose fitting but it is stretchy and soft. There is fun lacing detail at the bottom of the shirt on the both sides, which gives a little style to what would be an otherwise plain sweatshirt. The items are true to size.

By wearing prAna's beautiful yet functional clothing, I am making a mindful choice. Plus their clothes are so comfortable and fun!

What are some of the things you do to live more mindfully? Have you ever tried prAna's clothing? Do you want to? I have a discount code good through March 20, 2018. Use the code MPWRS18 to save 15% on full priced items at www.prAna.com. 

I'm linking this post with Tuesdays on the Run aka Marcia, Erika, and Patti as well as Running Coaches corner aka Debbie, Lora, and Rachel.

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