The Essence of Mindfulness
So, what is Mindfulness you might ask?
The definition would be Present Moment, non-judgemental, Awareness.
Yes that can be a mouthful, so it’s best to break it down. A lot of it simply boils down to bringing awareness to the present as much as possible in a non-judgemental way.
i.e. as the Beatles would sing ‘Let it be’ or another way is going with the flow, a non-resistance to the present situation.
It doesn’t mean not taking action when appropriate to change a situation, nor does it mean taking a ‘back seat’. Rather it means a waking up to life and living in a far more congruent and peaceful way.
Mindfulness can also be looked at as a simple practice of remembering – remembering to wake up to be aware, so we don’t get lost in our thoughts. We do this by using our five senses.
Mindfulness cannot be taught by someone else, but a mindfulness teacher like myself can assist with your practice, by giving you the tools in order for you to help yourself.
It’s a bit like playing the piano unless you practice you most likely will never be able to play.
So, what are the benefits to Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is said to help with anxiety and depression
It also helps with resilience
It has been known to boost our immune systems
Science has proved that as people practice mindfulness meditation over time, these possible changes alter the physical structure of the brain itself. This change in the brain’s circuitry is most pronounced in a part of the brain surface known as the INSULA which controls many of the features that we regard as central to our humanity. The Insula becomes energised through meditation. Given time this means that you’re more than likely to feel happy than sad, increasingly likely to live with ease, as opposed to anxious and be energised rather than tired and listless.
So, what is Mindfulness Practice?
Mindfulness practice consists of learning how to observe your thoughts. In doing this we can come to realise that we are not our thoughts, that this is just what the brain does, and we learn to allow our thoughts to simply come and go. It’s also a re-connecting with our body through our five senses to take us out of our automatic pilot way of living and waking up to living life fully.
We do this by mindfulness meditation.
Mindfulness meditation teaches you to recognise memories and damaging thoughts as they arise. It reminds you that they are memories. They are not real. They are not you. You can learn to observe negative thoughts as they arise, let them stay a while and then simply watch them evaporate before your eyes. And when this occurs, an extraordinary thing can happen; a profound sense of happiness and peace fills the void…
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coming soon !