YOUR HEALTH MINDFULNESS referred to as “looking into the abyss”, and for good reason - it can seem daunting and overwhelming. Now being forced into a situation where we may be alone with ourselves more than ever before, reflect on some of these ideas on mindfulness and allow it to give you some comfort in turning your vision within. The way that I think about mindfulness is simply being present. Often, mindfulness apps guide you to focus on your physical body, on things like your breathing, or different parts of your body. I came across an interesting idea in a book on the subject, that the part of you that is always in the present is your physical body. Your mind can wander into thoughts of the future, or visit memories from the past, however, your body is always in the present. Focusing on the body and being in the body keeps you in the present moment. You may think that it’s difficult (or even impossible!) to shut off that voice in your head and keep the thoughts from racing through. Experiencing that is not a failure of being mindful, it’s simply how thoughts in our minds work. With practice, you may find that refocusing on the physical body will give your mind something to focus on so that as it races, it always comes back to the present.
JONATHAN NHAN, RPh, CDE Pharmacist / @nhanjonathan903
How often have you heard the term “mindfulness” and wondered “what does that mean?”. Maybe you have started to practice mindfulness, but are wondering if you’re “doing it right”. I can share what mindfulness means to me, and share some interesting things I’ve come across. These are simply my personal thoughts on the topic. I still have more to learn, but this is where I am now. At this time, when many of us are in self-isolation and practicing social distancing, there is an opportunity to reconnect with ourselves. Hopefully you can use this short article as a wedge into the broader topic of self-reflection and personal development. Looking within ourselves has been
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Like all things, we get better with practice. We don’t learn to walk overnight. We don’t acquire skills through a direct download to our brains. We practice. Doing anything over and over again is practice. This can form good and bad habits. What will you choose to practice on a daily basis, and how will it feel when that daily practice leads to an amazing life? And as you continue to practice this mindfulness, as we ride out this storm, we will soon come out on the other side. Throughout this all, we will continue to serve our community to provide you access to the essentials that you require. Please bear with us in this unprecedented time as we navigate this situation together. Keep well, and reach out to the store team, or myself, directly if there is anything that we may be able to assist you with.
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS