“Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
- Howard Thurman
Operating from the definition of mindfulness from last week’s post, my friend Oneika Mays shared on an episode of Broadening the Narrative that “Jon Kabat-Zinn [author of Wherever You Go, There You Are] … defines mindfulness as being in the present moment without judgment.” Oneika added “with compassion” to her understanding of mindfulness. So, how can we practice this thing we know as mindfulness?
The good news is that you don’t need a yoga mat, studio membership, or a weekend retreat to practice mindfulness. You can practice it right where you are, no matter what you are doing.
1) Repeat mantras
Mantras can help us return to the present moment when we feel pulled back into the past or toward the future. Some of my favorite mantras include:
- Be here now
- Nowhere to go, nothing to do, not in a hurry; somewhere to go, something to do, not in a hurry
- Why would I want to be anywhere but right here? (I started saying this after my mushroom journey)
2) Grounding exercises
Deep breathing can help bring us back to the here and now. You might try:
- box breathing (breathe in for four; hold for four; breathe out for four; hold for four) or triangle breathing (breathe in for three; hold for three; breathe out for three)
- taking off your shoes and socks to put your bare feet in the grass
- lying down and letting Mama Earth hold you
- utilizing any of your five senses that are available to you to access the physical world around you
- turning your head to look over your shoulder to send the message to your brain that there is nothing behind you (“I’m not in danger. I can relax. I can be here now.”)
3) Self-compassion
Pay attention to the ways you talk to and about yourself. I have a friend who said that she would never tell a friend some of the unkind things she said to herself. That radically shifted the way she interacted with herself. Think about things you love about yourself. Name them. Write them down. Read them often. The more compassion we extend to ourselves, the more compassion we extend to others. At least that’s been my experience.
A little later in our conversation, Oneika expounded on her understanding of mindfulness to say, “Mindfulness is about being here right now. But I think it's also about liberating the people around us … If we aren't using mindfulness as a way to liberate, then we're not doing the work.” So, repeat the mantras, ground yourself, and cultivate self-compassion while knowing that this whole mindfulness thing is about more than just us as individuals. Mindfulness is about us as a collective being healed and healing the world around us.
Next week, I will answer the question “What the **** is mindfulness for me?” The final post will be a guest post from Oneika herself, and I can’t wait to share it with you all! Until then, try one of the suggestions above and let me know how it went for you!
Additional Resources:
Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn
Love and Rage by Lama Rod Owens
Are We Free Yet? by Tina Strawn
You Are the Medicine by Asha Frost
Mindfulness, Metta, and Mutual Aid with Oneika Mays on Broadening the Narrative
Subscribe to my website: nickipappas.com
Subscribe to my Patreon: patreon.com/NickiPappas
Preorder Coming of Age and Coming Out: Stories of Repressed and Reclaimed Sexual Desire – nickipappas.com/product-page/coming-of-age (pending release June 2025) With your preorder purchase, you will receive a free download of the “Come Alive” guide in your inbox!
Love this, friend. Going to try some of these.
Thanks for sharing. I'm going to try some of the mantras!