What is Mindfulness, anyway???
Simply put, mindfulness is when you're aware of what you're doing in the present moment, without judgement. May sound simple enough but to achieve this state of "being" you must practice it! In every moment of your life, you have the opportunity to experience it to the fullest - while you're brushing your teeth, doing the laundry, or savoring that perfect piece of sashimi.
Practicing being mindful takes intention. You must decide to pay attention to each moment. And, when you notice that you're not noticing, you must decide, again, to bring your focus back to what you're doing.
There are a few ways to practice mindfulness. One, is to meditate. Now, if I've already lost you, don't worry! It's a simple technique. Just sitting and doing nothing is all it requires. OK, you'll also have to notice your mind as it thinks of every little thing... we all do this. We just don't need to follow each and every message it sends to us. We have to practice noticing the mind doing it's thing - not try to get rid of those thoughts. Just watching your mind, letting go of thoughts, and staying peaceful and calm while sitting (and doing nothing.)
I'm sure you can manage that for 10 minutes a day! The more you practice noticing (while meditating) the more you'll notice in your life when you're not meditating: the colors, the tastes, the scents, the feeling of being present. This practice will transform you by reducing your anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and will increase your focus, productivity and listening skills. It'll give you more patience, and you'll have more empathy and compassion for yourself and everyone near and dear to you.
It's no wonder that CEOs, athletes and politicians are touting the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. They claim to out produce, out score and move ahead in their careers and personal lives because of what they've gleened from this ancient Eastern practice.
There are a few ways to practice mindfulness. One, is to meditate. Now, if I've already lost you, don't worry! It's a simple technique. Just sitting and doing nothing is all it requires. OK, you'll also have to notice your mind as it thinks of every little thing... we all do this. We just don't need to follow each and every message it sends to us. We have to practice noticing the mind doing it's thing - not try to get rid of those thoughts. Just watching your mind, letting go of thoughts, and staying peaceful and calm while sitting (and doing nothing.)
I'm sure you can manage that for 10 minutes a day! The more you practice noticing (while meditating) the more you'll notice in your life when you're not meditating: the colors, the tastes, the scents, the feeling of being present. This practice will transform you by reducing your anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and will increase your focus, productivity and listening skills. It'll give you more patience, and you'll have more empathy and compassion for yourself and everyone near and dear to you.
It's no wonder that CEOs, athletes and politicians are touting the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. They claim to out produce, out score and move ahead in their careers and personal lives because of what they've gleened from this ancient Eastern practice.