Being Spiritual in a Distracted World

What's up New Age Thinkers! It has been a while since I've posted. Just to give you an update on my life, I finally graduated from my university, with two degrees, I was able to find a position in my field and now I'm establishing my self in my mundane career. I've been finding that, although I am extremely spiritual, my way of life is being attacked by the everyday distractions of our world. As the title states, this blog is going to talk about the ways we can incorporate some basic and introductory spiritual practices in your life so that you can either start, continue, or get back on the bandwagon of spiritual life!

Mindfulness Meditation: In our, every day lives we are constantly bombarded with texts, snapchats, emails, tweets, Instagram posts, etc. etc. etc. From the minute we wake up, the first thing that the majority of us do is reach over and check our phone. Whether you are shutting off your alarm clock, checking your email or the weather, we have programmed our mind to the digital master. We tell ourselves, "I'll meditate later." Yet, when later comes, we're distracted. If you do find yourself trying to meditate, your mind starts to wander and immediately think about your phone. "What's going on with this person; Oh, this person got a new car; This person had a baby; What am I going to eat; I'm kind of uncomfortable; Maybe I just can't meditate." Then we stop. We have convinced ourselves that meditation is just something we cannot do. I promise you, this is something that I deal with as well. One of the best ways to stop the thoughts is through breathing. When you sit down, lie down, or whatever you do to meditate, start with breathing exercises. Inhale a deep breath through your nose, hold it for at least five seconds, then exhale through your mouth slowly. While you are exhaling, set the intention that all the air you are breathing out is also releasing any distraction that you have. Repeat this exercise at least five to six times. After that, you will have a calmer and more peaceful mind. The next step is becoming the observer. When you close your eyes, a plethora of thoughts will begin to flood in. Observe them as they come in and leave. I've found that thoughts tend to last 5-10 seconds when you observe them. I usually do this for about three to five minutes, depending on how busy I am that day. Next, set the intention in your mind that you will focus on one thought, one object, or one person. It's something that you want to focus on. Do your best to focus on that thought for five minutes. You will find this to be difficult at first. If you practice this mindfulness meditation daily, you may find that your focus on mundane tasks will become be strengthened as well! I have found, that within my own practices, focusing on something that I want to manifest is where I usually set my intention.

Now, I know you're probably thinking to yourself, "This doesn't exactly tell me how to be spiritual in a distracted world." However, hear me out, this is the beginning stages of spirituality. Not only will your focus improve but so will your spiritual life. You will then be able to engage in other spiritual practices. Meditation is the core of a spiritual life. If you are able to "master" this practice, you will gain immense insight into your own life and learn to become a person with a focused soul, mind, and body.