Practicing mindfulness is good for your soul. We all know being sound in body and in
mind are important aspects to maintaining a healthy and happy life,
... [Show More] but I feel what is
commonly overlooked and it is to societies detriment, is one’s spiritual health. I do not mean
spiritual in its traditionally understood way of religion, but for some religion may certainly play
a huge importance in their spiritual wellbeing. You may ask “other than religion, what ways are
there to practice spiritual health?” There’s a million things you can do and this paper is not long
enough to go into all of them, so for now I will touch on one of the easiest things you can do,
that is practicing mindfulness.
I arrived to bootcamp in early December, and it was cold, freezing in fact. Day in and day
out we walked for miles through the rain, mud, and snow. Ultimately to reach a destination to
do, what at the time, felt to be a task with no purpose. Even after a long day when it was time
for bed there was still no break from the relentless cold. Unfortunately for me, my rack was
next to a thin single paned window that the freezing temperatures outside had no problem
creeping in through. Me and the thin blanket I was issued didn’t stand a chance. I was physically
and emotionally drained, I was miserable. Finally, the day came, graduation was at last here. I
made it and I was heading to Pensacola, Florida for my schooling.
I arrived in Pensacola early in the morning, the sun had yet to come up. Me and the
other graduates were picked up at the airport and crammed into a small van. Once we arrived
Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition I
TOUCHSTONE 1
at our destination we were instructed to get out and lineup side-by-side, and I will never forget
what happened next for as long as I live. We stepped out to a large building located right on the
tip of a peninsula. The sun had just come over the horizon its light reflecting off the calm
morning waters surrounding the small but defiant peninsula. For the first time in two months I
felt the sun on my face. I heard the waves gently crashing on the rocks below. The seagulls
were singing in the distance, I no longer felt the misery of those awful freezing nights, I finally
felt alive.
So, why did I tell you this story? What does it have to do with mindfulness? Well, for two
months I was so consumed with my surroundings and emotions because that is all I had. I could
not ignore some of the unpleasantries that I had to deal with, they were there whether I liked it
or not. In a way I was practicing mindfulness, just in the wrong way. Once I finally left the bitter
cold and arrived in the Poor Man’s Riviera, I was primed to notice the how good the simple
things in life can be. I had forgotten to be appreciative of my surroundings and it took basic
training to make me remember. Ever since Mindfulness is something, I have made a huge effort
to practice in my life and it has made a world of difference. [Show Less]