New Year New You!

Its that time of year again, that time when we think about our goals, aims and ambitions for the coming 12 months. New Year is a reminder that we're another year down, another of our precious units of time has been used up, never to be seen again, to exist only in our thoughts and imagination.

Our years are so precious, so brief that we owe it to ourselves to make the absolute most out of them. To squeeze every last bit of experience, joy and fun out of every single valuable moment. To make the most of the ups, the downs and the in between moments and to appreciate and cherish that which we care about.

One way to gain an appreciation for the gift that is your life is to practice mindfulness. This is the art of being aware, in the moment, conscious of all sensations that exist in the NOW. We normally spend a lot of our waking time on auto-pilot, acting without being aware of what we are doing. We think about the past, people, situations, problems, worries and the future, while we clean the house, or brush our teeth, or go shopping or drive our cars. Rarely is our full attention in the moment, on the physical sensations that go with each experience. When the mind is fully in the now, there comes a sense of peace, for our problems lie when we let the mind wander, to the past or the future. In the now, there is a natural sense of calm that unfolds if we gently, and persistently bring the mind and our awareness back to the present moment.

The snowy weather at the moment is perfect for practising mindfulness and allowing you to fully appreciate your senses. When you walk in the snow, have your full attention on each and everything you experience; the crunch as you walk and the feel of the snow under your feet, the cold air in your lungs, the snowmen, the sun sparkling on the snow, the sound of the birds singing, the smell of the fresh snow and log fires, the taste of winter.

Whenever you find your mind wandering into realms of worry about the future or regret about the past, gently bring your awareness back to the moment and your breathing. In the present moment lies a sense of tranquillity that is achieved easily if you can only let go of the past and present and allow it to be in the now.