What is Mindfulness?
Last week I mentioned/touched on Mindfulness/Mindful eating... but what is mindfulness?
Is it something you do in meditation, at yoga or throughout life...
Mindfulness is a self explanatory word. As it describes it's the MIND FULLY present to what is occurring, what you are engaged in, and the environment you are travelling/passing through.
That might seem insignificant, except for the reality we often deviate from the activity at hand. Our mind distracts, and we lose touch with our bodies and soon we are absorbed in all-consuming thoughts of what is happening or stressing about the consequences, making us feel distressed and anxious.
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what's going on around us.
No matter how much we procrastinate, mindfulness is there to bring ourselves back to where we are, and to how we feel and to what we are doing.
We all have the ability to be mindful, it's not something we materialise, we just have to master how to recognise it, explore it, and practice it.
Types of Mindfulness practice.
Whilst mindfulness is inherent it can be refined and practiced in different ways/activities.
*Seated, walking, standing, moving, laying down, meditation
*Short interludes fit into everyday activities of observance.
*Merging activities with meditation and other practices like yoga, sport, life...
The benefits of Mindfulness practice.
Practicing Mindfulness reduces stress, anxiety, it intensifies our performance obtaining awareness and understanding through registering our own mind, and expanding our consciousness of others well-being.
Mindfulness practice gives us time in our lives to suspend judgement and release our curiosity about the mechanism of the mind, approaching our experience with compassion to ourselves and others.
Facts about Mindfulness
*Mindfulness is not mysterious. It is known to us as we practice it already without thinking, as it goes under many alternative names.
* Mindfulness is not an additional activity we already have the ability to be present, its just learning to recognise it and practice it.
*You don't need to change. When we look at changing who we are, we tend to struggle and give up. Mindfulness acknowledges and develops the finest points of ourselves.
*Any one can do it. I does not require change, just learning to observe your qualities which we can all benefit.
*It's away of living. Mindfulness brings an awareness and tenderness into everything we do relieving the stress and woes making life happier and healthier.
The 5-4-3-2-1 Mindful Grounding practice to ease you mind when stressed.
The goal whit this exercise is to use the five senses to focus on the moment and avoid multiple anxious thoughts that can get in the way.
Deep, slow and long breaths are your first priority for achieving a calm state before proceeding.
Breathe in for three, hold your breath for three, breathe out for three...
* Acknowledge 5 things that you can see around you.
* Acknowledge 4 things that you can touch around you.
* Acknowledge 3 things that you can hear around you.
* Acknowledge 2 things that you can smell around you.
* Acknowledge 1 things that you can taste around you.
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