Solitude is restorative. It is a mindful practice that fosters self awareness, emotional regulation and inner peace while reducing stress. Solitude is not loneliness. It is time alone which is not feared but embraced. It is a choice which fosters renewal. Find it outdoors or indoors, your choice.

Take a mindful 5 minute walk today. Move slowly. Notice your surroundings. Breathe. Smile.

Mindful experiences can be found walking on your property. Home is a profound, intangible feeling of security, belonging, and emotional sanctuary rather than just a physical structure. It represents a "true home" within, cultivated through mindfulness, which allows for peace in the present moment.

Mindfulness is living in gratitude for what is pleasing in the very present moment. Even when the hottest months come, and they do, I find what's good in every day.

Mindfulness fosters self-compassion, helping you identify true needs over people-pleasing, leading to authentic self-care. This practice cultivates inner strength to act on your needs, reducing guilt and promoting healthy, authentic choices. Do what blows your hair back!

Mindful practice can include your interests. I like to research what any bird symbolizes. American white pelicans symbolize profound self-sacrifice, charity, and nurturing, deeply rooted in the ancient legend of the "pelican in her piety," where a mother pelican feeds her young with her own blood.

Mindfully meditate staring into a dark or shadowy space; mind drifting into a realm of countless possibilities. You never know when you awaken each morning what wonderful things will happen on any given day. Expect them to happen. If nothing happens that day you've lived in joyful anticipation.

Mindfully consider the presence of a wood stork. The wood stork symbolizes new beginnings, fertility, and prosperity across various cultures, frequently associated with the arrival of spring and renewal. As a dedicated, colonial nesting bird, it also represents family, protection, and resilience.

I took the photo below at the Fort Myers, FL Art Festival. The sculpture of this cleverly created diver is done by artist Donald Gialanella.

Is it mindful to dive in? Sometimes, "dive into" can mean examining a topic in great detail or engaging in thorough, deep, focused work. In this context, it aligns with a, focused, and immersive state of mind. Immerse yourself in something you love. Maybe a piece of cheesecake, or people watching!

Mindful observation: Herons symbolize patience, wisdom, & self-determination, often representing the ability to navigate life's complexities with grace, balance, & quiet confidence. As creatures of both air & water, they are seen as messengers between worlds, embodying introspection & longevity.

Edit of the post below: Mindfully read Desiderata. Not 'of' Desiderata. I write these posts early, lol.

Mindfully read of Desiderata. It was said to be found in a church in 1692. Actually it was written in 1927, by Max Erhlman. No matter when it was written, the content is a timeless guide to live a balanced peaceful and meaningful life. It is also a reminder to research sources of information.

Most of us have to watch what we spend. It is a mindful practice to reuse things (eating leftovers, etc )& to be thrifty. I paint often so I enjoy thrifting or finding tag sales for frames and other items for my art, and other personal uses. The frame below was an ugly brown. I painted it & voila!

Mindful of powerful symbolism. A pink carnation symbolizes gratitude. Mindfulness and gratitude together rewire the brain for joy, resilience, and reduced stress by fostering present-moment awareness of positive blessings without judgment. This combo involves noticing small daily joys.

Happy 💌 Valentine's 💕Day! If you have love in your life, a parent, friend, child, mate, it's time to treasure your miracle. Let them know they are valued through your words. Candy, cards, flowers and balloons are optional. Thoughtfulness is NOT optional.

Mindfully consider the purpose of dating. Take time to truly know someone before sex or commitment—notice their family ties, friendships, public behavior, work habits, and approach to money. Choose simple, free dates &don’t rush! It is very important to truly wait; be best friends.

Mindfulness requires honesty. Yesterday, I received a deliciously crisp, covered in chocolate, fortune cookie. Of all the "fortunes" I have ever had and read THIS one was most honest and 😂 hilarious. "I cannot help you for I am just a cookie!" A moment spent laughing is mindfulness in motion.

Mindful self-care is recognizing that each of us are responsible for ourselves. We must care for our own needs, eating, sleeping, physical, & spiritual health. When one is fulfilled in all areas relationships will soar. You must take care of yourself before you can care for anyone else.

Mindful of the various emotions and traits attributed to one's heart. Practice awareness which reduces distress by allowing individuals to experience emotions without being controlled by them, promoting compassion, patience, and acceptance. It helps regulate the "heart brain'

Mindfully consider when you speak to anyone about a sensitive topic. Timing has everything to do with gaining a clear picture before a discussion and how the message will be received. Place, mood, and privacy often lead to a better outcome.

Be mindful of the images you place in your mind. The pictures you see just like environments you enter will shift your mood. I've posted these cheery watercolor flowers for all to see; spend a few moments examining the details.😊

Mindful exercise: Look at a pleasant view. As you take it in- breathe-following your breaths, in & out. After 5 minutes you'll feel as if you've taken a relaxing vacation. During any day- there ARE 5 minutes you can take for YOU. Don't make excuses. Do it. Reduce your angst. Increase your patience.

Mindfully check your buckets. If these needs or areas of our lives are unfulfilled we become discontent. Social:friendship, physical :the need for food/touch, intellectual: new ideas, creative: express oneself, emotional:love&security, spiritual/need belonging& a belief in the power of goodness.

Mindful that showing love should be all year long, I'm still one who enjoys Valentine's Day. I like the decor, conversation hearts and the chocolates. I think the Valentine's cards kids give to kids at school are sweet. This day is a reminder that focusing on things outside of ourselves is healthy

Mindful learning: Did you know there's really no distinction between a pigeon and a dove? Black imperial pigeons exist in large numbers. Darker, blacker pigeons may have an advantage in cities as their feathers can better store toxic metal ions, reducing the impact of heavy metals on their health.

A Towhee bird is mostly ground dwelling turning leaves without rushing to the next activity. Just hearing a bird (passive) to truly listen to it (active/intentional), requires patience. To watch a towhee scrape for food or emerge from thickets, training the mind to stay in the present moment.

Guided meditations can easily be accessed on YouTube. Spending just 5 minutes for ONLY you can change your mood today or relax you into sleep. This is a mindful, self-care practice. Picture yourself creating your sanctuary. In this place you can include anything you like. Spend time there. Enjoy.

Gifted mindful moments when I awakened to the Snow Moon; what a sight to savor. Sky jewelry. Breathe deeply. Gratitude for sight. Gratitude for another day. Anything can happen. In the midst of the worst times beauty appears placing hope in our hearts.

*icy branch photo lifted from a Facebook post of a friend

It is mindful to admit we don't know when asked anything we aren't 100% certain about. Never assume, because it's to make an ass of u and me, as Felix pointed out in the Odd Couple (😊). It can create trouble or embarrassment. These icy branches are in South, FL, in LaBelle. Would you have guessed?

A cardinal acts as a natural grounding nudge to take a mindful pause, be present and embrace the beauty of the moment. When I paint my aim is not to produce a photograph. Painting requires mindful focus with the goal of creating an image, a feeling, with mindful engagement.

A mindful practice builds contentment. Examine yourself with love not criticism. If you are healthy you are beautiful. Shun ideal magazine portrayals. The most attractive things aren't presented on the face. Looks fade, hearts stay the same. Wanna be a crow in a cardinal suit? 😂 Just be you.

Mindful Winter; it appears in different ways all over the world so from India to Indiana it will arrive. Winter has long been a metaphor for rest, hard times, death, and stillness. Mindful living requires a practitioner to rest to be introspective and in this dormancy comes healing and rebirth.

Live with mindfulness and kindness, aware that our thoughts and actions ripple outward. When cruelty causes harm, silence allows it to grow, so speak out-without threatening. Be an angel helper when help is needed, choosing compassion even when there is risk, do what you can to protect one another.

Mindfulness and humor foster creativity by enhancing cognitive flexibility, reducing stress, and fostering an open-minded "beginner's mind". By cultivating present-moment awareness without judgment, individuals can reduce self-criticism, allowing for more divergent thinking- have some fun!

Mindfulness works best paired with gratitude. Look at everything as a fortune. Especially health; both mental and physical. We must have nutritious food for energy & function and the thoughts in your head must positively feed your spirit. When you speak make the words helpful to yourself & others

Mindfulness sets the stage for intentional living by creating a mental & physical "pause" before reacting, allowing for conscious, effective action rather than impulsive behavior. It involves cultivating a calm environment, establishing clear intentions,& techniques like grounding &body scans

Daydreaming is a way to drift mindfully into a desirable headspace. Thinking about the sweet flowers of Spring, on this day when most of the country is snowy & cold, I began thinking how it would be if snowflakes were delicate white flowers with softly colored centers and how pretty skiing would be.

Mindful movements exercise involves engaging in physical activity with intentional, present-moment awareness, focusing on breath, bodily sensations & parameters include moving slowly, connecting motion to breath, scanning the body for tension, and practicing consistent, small, daily sessions.

Are these agents thinking rationally, mindfully, or emotionally? Regular people can videotape anything that is in public. There's no reason to put regular people on a list to target, make fearful or agitated. I believe they hope for people to be angry & for them 2 come at them so they CAN kill.😭

ICE agent asked why he's taking pictures of a legal observer's car, replies: "Cuz we have a nice little database and now you're considered a domestic terrorist. So have fun with that."

Mindful that we all share one planet, we begin to see there is no purely geographical solution to inner discomfort. Moving from countryside to city, or from a game board to a sailboat, changes the setting but not the mind that travels with us. Happiness is found by choosing what we think about.

Mindful of perceptions how they vary & how some insist their perceptions are correct. A perception is not a fact it's a viewpoint. In the picture I perceive the lowest hanging branches to look like the base of the Eiffel Tower (follow it upward). Whatever someone else sees is not wrong or right

A mindful examination of the sunny shelves that hold potted plants becomes a focused study with no intended outcome—only the gift of 15 minutes of quiet thought. Gaze at anything for 15 minutes. Explore it. Move attention away from the self- out toward anything in the world. You will feel better.

Mindfulness in winter is conducive to introspection as the sky is less colorful and cool weather brings about quiet, slowing down and stillness. It is an ideal time for appreciating nature, meditating and keeping an inward focus tuning in to internal sensations being in touch with yourself.

There are situations and conditions that require us to be mindfully aware.

Insane — a French judge says Trump’s goons tried to pressure her over Le Pen’s prosecution and she was so “taken aback” she told the French foreign office “There’s a political project behind all this and we must be vigilant”

I've put my art aside to rest. Maintaining mindful awareness of the body and its needs is part of acknowledging a mindful practice. Give in to rest. People think lying down during the day is lazy it is not; it is necessary for rejuvenation. Take care of yourself as you take care of others.