Neighbor News
How and Why Shabbir Evershine Makes Time for Mindfulness
Ways Peoria Residents can Benefit from Intentional Mindfulness

Many Peoria residents are looking for a way to center themselves and to take full advantage of the power of their minds. A popular buzzword these days is “mindfulness.” There are many misconceptions about the practice of mindfulness. Rather than an unattainable and difficult state, mindfulness is easy to work into your daily life. Spiritual people like Shabbir Evershine, the founder of RocketPMO, offer these tips on how to make mindfulness work for you every day.
Begin by Acknowledging Your Thoughts
When you begin a mindfulness practice, meditation is an ideal way to start. Many people are intimidated by the process of meditation, believing that it means emptying their minds of all thoughts. Mindfulness meditation presents the opposite approach. Rather than trying to “empty” your mind, take the time to acknowledge each thought and feeling and let them naturally drift away.
You can think of acknowledging a feeling as shaking hands with someone. Let it be a cordial introduction, and don’t pressure yourself to get rid of negative thoughts. When you practice mindfulness, you can begin to understand how your mind and body work.
Find out what's happening in Peoriafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Take the Time to Feel Your Feelings
Peoria residents know that it can be challenging to accept the way you are feeling in the moment. When you note an emotion or thought, make sure that you take the time to truly feel it. Don’t shy away from negative thoughts. These can be important spiritual teachers.
Physical Sensations
Mindfulness is as much about your physical feelings as it is about your thoughts. That is one concept that separates mindfulness from other forms of meditation. Take a deep breath and focus on how the air enters your nose and mouth, flows down into your lungs, and then back out again. Your breath is an excellent way to start mindfully monitoring yourself.
Find out what's happening in Peoriafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Move on to the physical feelings in your limbs, in your torso, in your head, and in your extremities. If you have any negative experiences, sit with them for a moment and then let them go.
Daily Activities
Apart from meditation, there are many excellent ways to work mindfulness into your daily life. It is especially helpful in interactions with loved ones. Many people find that they are distracted by a device or by intrusive thoughts when they are trying to make an authentic connection with their family members.
First, turn off your devices when you are spending time together. Distraction will keep you from achieving mindfulness. Be truly present in the moment, enjoying the ebb and flow of the conversation, the way it makes you feel, and any memories that might arise from it. Share these thoughts with your friend or loved one. Truly listen to their thoughts and concerns and offer them assistance if they need it.
Mindfulness also means sitting and listening to a friend or family member without judgment. Your own spiritual practice can help you support a loved one who is going through a difficult time.
Mindfulness at Work
Peoria workplaces can be stressful, but a practice of mindfulness at work may help to smooth the way. Practice mindfulness in the same way you would at home but adjust your perceptions to include thoughts about your daily tasks.
When you are working on a spreadsheet, for example, concentrate fully. Don’t try to switch back and forth between tasks. Multitasking can be the enemy of mindfulness. Try to block out times for each activity, enabling you to put your full attention on any challenges that may occur.
Being mindful in a work meeting may be one of the most difficult challenges you place for yourself. There are so many different thoughts and concepts being presented, it is hard to make sense of them all. Take the time to fully listen to each point of view. Mindfulness will free your thoughts and help you respond to problems in an agile manner.
Mindfulness for Greater Life Satisfaction
When you practice mindfulness, you will find that your life is deeper and more satisfying. When you start small, you can gradually move up to a fully integrated practice of mindfulness. Start with simple meditations.
Above all, make sure that you have compassion for yourself. You will need to be compassionate with yourself before you can extend it to others. The example of spiritual seekers like Shabbir Evershine can help anyone in Peoria on the path to self-actualization.