“Surrender to what is.  Let go of what was.  Have faith in what will be.” 
~ Sonia Ricotti

July's Mindfulness Activity of the Month:

Game of Fives
Practicing mindfulness does not have to be challenging.  It can be as simple as noticing the things that you have not slowed down enough to notice before.  These are typically things that go unappreciated because we are merely moving through life too quickly.  These unnoticed items can be things you hear, smell, feel, or see.  When completing this exercise, all you need to do is actively and intentionally notice five things in your day that you would typically not pay special attention to. 

For example, you might notice and feel the temperature of your home, you might see the color of your walls or furniture, smell the scent outside your front door, or hear the music from the car next to you in stopped traffic.  Becoming truly aware of these things and the connection they have to the world overall will help you to really notice things that do benefit your own life. 

This mindfulness practice can help you to:

• Really notice finer and more intricate details in the things around you
• Think about what your life might be life with or without these things
• Understand how these things benefit your life or the lives of others
• Allow yourself to be creative and really notice how amazing and influential these things can be

This type of practice can help us to learn to identify and then reduce levels of stress, pain, and anxiety in our life.  We can learn to identify the thoughts and emotions we are experiencing, who we are, and what we are doing.  Fully experiencing our own environment will assist us in living in the present moment.