What is mindfulness and what are the benefits of practicing it?
What is mindfulness and what are the benefits of practicing it?
We live in a busy modern world and our days are often spent trying to juggle various commitments such as family and work and so it is little wonder that it can be difficult to find the time to slow down and become fully present without feeling distracted by various external stimuli.
Developing the process of mindfulness means to become fully present in the current moment without interpretation or judgement. This can be a real art in itself as so many of us live our lives either dwelling on emotions felt from the past or looking into the future which means that becoming fully focussed on the present is not always possible .
Have you ever been talking to a friend on the phone whilst you are doing something else at the same time or watching television whilst eating a meal? In both of these examples your attention is distracted which prevents you from connecting to the present moment. Mindfulness is a form of knowing and being fully conscious and aware of our thoughts, emotions and actions whilst connecting to your true self, it is not judging or forming an opinion on ourselves or others just merely being aware and choosing to stay present.
Mindfulness comprises of three parts: First of all we need to focus our attention on a purpose, once we have discovered the purpose we need to focus our attention on the here and now of that purpose and finally at all times be completely non-judgemental in the way we choose to act. It is always positive to set ourselves goals of things we want to achieve, however the only time that is ever promised to us is the current present moment and it is important to be aware of this.
Mindfulness can be practiced through meditation and also through living our lives with complete awareness in everything we say or do. For example if we are eating a meal, slow down and pay attention to the texture, smell and taste of the food and really feel it nourishing the body as opposed to simply eating it as quickly as possible and just using it as a form of fuel. Afterwards ask yourself what were you thoughts, feelings and sensations experienced you may be surprised just how deeply you can connect within and become present if you only allow yourself the time to do so.
Mindfulness is being in the present moment and staying completely aware in body and mind but did you know that it can also have a huge impact on how you experience the discomfort of pain? So how can it help us with any physical or emotional pain that we are experiencing in our mind and body? By changing our mind-set and how we choose to manage the pain we can alleviate a lot of the discomfort we are feeling, this works by the simple fact that we need to learn how to replace the negative feelings of suffering we may naturally feel with feelings of affection instead.
This may seem a very strange and unfamiliar concept but there is a logical reasoning behind doing so. When we experience pain in any form it is natural to connect to negative feelings of anger, hate or pity because of the suffering we are feeling, however if we choose to alter our mind-set at this moment and instead choose to embrace the pain and be grateful for the sensations the tension in our muscles automatically subsides as we are making the choice not to resent the pain but welcome it and therefore the release of the stress hormones are minimised and discomfort is no longer accelerated.
Another effective method to help us to deal with pain and suffering is to regard it with curiosity instead of discomfort, again this can seem very much out of our comfort zone but try it for yourself and see how effective it can be.
If you view yourself as an observer of the discomfort rather than actually physically and emotionally feeling it then it is quite amazing how quickly the sensations and emotions will change and the level and intensity of pain felt will automatically diminish.
So how can you become more mindful in your every day life? First of all as mentioned earlier by increasing awareness in your emotions and actions the next time you feel anger towards yourself or others just pause for a moment and reflect before you act I can guarantee you will react in a much more positive way by simply taking a pause, also try to factor at least 10-15 minutes of meditation into your daily schedule, it is the most effective way to quieten the mind and bring a sense of peace and tranquillity.
It can also be helpful to write a daily journal recording all your experiences and how they made you feel by maintaining a mindfulness journal you can start to recognise patterns you may not have been aware of previously and it will help you to understand why you feel and act the way you do. As human beings we are intricate and complicated but also deeply fascinating as we are all completely different and yet at the same time have the ability to deeply connect with each other on a profound level.
The benefits of developing mindfulness are vast and include the relief of stress, the reduction of pain, improving sleep and lowering blood pressure. You will also become more aware of self-control with an enhanced ability to relate not only to yourself but to others with compassion and kindness which is something that we could all benefit from in the long-term.
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