By now everyonehas read and heard about this thing called mindfulness. If you believe the hypeit can help you eat less, become nicer, smarter, more relaxed and lessstressed. Sounds good, doesn’t it? So, what is it and what’s the catch?
It's difficult to write about it because how do you describe a state of consciousness without sounding hokey? But I hope that the following will pique your interest enough to look into it for yourself.
First,let’s look at what it is.
1. Mindfulness is a state ofmind we aspire to. It is a meditative state through which we can experiencepassage of time fully awake and conscious. It is being aware of your senses as you go about life in the here and now. Theintention is to center your attention through your physical self and less fromyour inner, thinking self. Brain is part of the bodyand so whatever feelings and thoughts that arise throughout the day, they can be experienced for what it is in the present. You can be mindful and enjoyfood, feel close to your friends, have a deep a conversation and feel andemotionally connected — meaning, any activity can be experienced mindfully.
2. Regular practice of meditationwill make it easier to connect to the mindful state. It’s like running, themore you run, easier running becomes.
3. It’s paying attention to the“thing” which you are doing, whether you are engaged in deep, meditativebreathing, walking your dog around the park, washing dishes, reading, listeningto music, or having sex.
4. It’s noticing the chatter thatfills your head. When you become more mindful, you will notice many thoughts, memories and feelings cometo your awareness; mindfulness is not letting your attention fall on them andletting them take you into the past or the future. Think of it this way: You arewalking down the street with a destination in mind, and you run into people you know. You say hello andgreet them pleasantly, but do not stop and get into conversations, because you are headed somewhere else.
5. Mindfulness isunderstanding that the chatter — inner voices, negative self talk, flashbacks, cravings,obsessions — is the source of our anxiety and depression. I don’t mean to sayanxiety and depression will cease to happen or that it shouldn’t happen, but that we can quiet the chatter which is responsible for unnecessary anxiety and depression.
And, whatit isn’t:
1. Mindfulness isn’t beingdistracted. Everyone experiences the discomfort of doing something or beingwith someone without being fully present. Your inner self is elsewhere,thinking or feeling something not in the present. It feels as if you are holdingtwo conversations or doing two things simultaneously, which is exhausting. Focusingon what you are doing will actually enrich your experience.
2. Ignoring physical states:if you are hungry, eat something; if you are tired, take a break or nap; if youare angry, talk or write about it; if you are lonely, reach out for a connection,whatever that may look like; if you are in pain, physical or emotional, dosomething to lessen or stop the pain. The idea is that we can’t tune in withthe here now if these primary needs go unmet. It’s like trying to operate a carthat has no gas or has a major mechanical problem. In order for you to function optimally, you need to take care of your self.
3. Giving up because you can’t“get mindfulness right.” Perfection, or in this case being completely attuned tothe present, is something we aspire to; it motivates and gives direction but perfect mindfulness is not possible. Go easy when you find yourself distracted, gentlyredirect your attention back to the here and now and the task before you.
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Here is a link to a guided meditation which is a very good introduction to meditation, and it will actually help you relax!