What does mindfulness mean and how can I learn to practice it?

 

What does mindfulness mean and how can I learn to practice it? Meditation helps you to become more mindful by focussing the mind and mindfulness is the process of slowing down your thoughts and bringing your attention to everything that is occurring around you at the present time. In this busy modern world we live in our lives can be so hectic at times that it can be difficult to find the time to slow down and find an inner focus away from all the noise and external distractions which are often so apparent. To be mindful means to become fully present in the current moment without interpretation or judgement of any kind, it is comprised of three separate parts. First of all you need to determine what your purpose is because that is where you will place your focus, maybe you have a goal in mind such as you wish to achieve a promotion at work, now place your attention on the here and now of achieving that purpose and finally always remain non-judgemental in the way you choose to act in achieving your goal. Something to be aware of is that the future is never promised only this present moment and for this reason mindfulness can be extremely helpful in encouraging you to stay fully connected to your being at all times. A huge part of becoming mindful and conscious is becoming aware of the power of your mind set, every successful person has the same thing in common they all had self-belief and a positive mind set, if you believe you will fail before you have even tried then you are destined to never achieve what you desire but if you are able to keep positive in the way you approach a situation then things never look as bad and you may be surprised at exactly how much you can achieve. An interesting concept of this thought process is linked to how we respond to pain and discomfort, instead of choosing to feel the physical pain and resenting it, instead try to embrace it which may seem strange at first but if you learn to welcome pain instead of resisting it our stress hormones are automatically subdued. Becoming mindful does not need to be a struggle, start slowly and watch the results ...

To be mindful means to become fully present in the current moment without interpretation or judgement of any kind.

Start the process slowly by becoming fully aware of what is around you, choose an object such as a candle now really focus on it and go beyond the obvious details such as its colour and smell, notice the way the flame moves and the noise it may make whilst it is burning, are their reflections or patterns formed on the walls and how does the light from the candle make you feel? Learn to really connect into all your senses so you can become fully present. The next time you go for a walk especially in nature become aware of the beauty surrounding you the colours and the sounds of the animals or birds in the trees, can you hear the leaves rustling or if there is a stream watch how the water is moving.. This is the difference between becoming mindful and present as opposed to simply being there. Mindfulness can offer many benefits such as a greater sense of awareness, becoming mindful will also improve your relationships with others as well as yourself, naturally reduce pain , improve the quality of sleep and lower blood pressure. Mindfulness also aids in calming Stress and Anxiety and hence is particularly beneficial for helping to regulate and maintain internal balance.

Whats the difference between mindfulness and meditation? Although both are very similar in some ways there are also distinct differences. Mindfulness is possessing the quality of being conscious and aware, without actively changing our thought pattern and it can be done anywhere and at any time and is therefore flexible and informal. Meditation is the art of actively taking the time to train the mind to become more conscious, making it more formal and is usually practised in one place either sitting or laying down, whilst focussing into one area of the body such as the breath or reciting mantras to increase a sense of consciousness. Both are very beneficial to our wellbeing and it is often a case of seeing which process best fits in with your life style. You can therefore practice mindfulness without meditating, but it is difficult to practice meditation without first becoming mindful. #mindfulness #becomingmindful #innerconnection

Elizabeth Lock      Holistic Therapist 
www.yourcuddletherapy.co.uk   heal@yourcuddletherapy.co.ukwww.yourinnerglow.co.uk         heal@yourinnerglow.co.ukwww.yourtantrictouch.co.uk      heal@yourtantrictouch.co.uk

#mindfulness #becomingmindful #connection