‘Mindfulness’ is one of those terms that we recognise as something to do with inner peace.
We know it’s probably a good idea, and yet the actual ‘doing of Mindfulness’ often gets lost in the modern-day rat race of 50 phone calls and 150 emails in your inbox. However, if we embrace it, mindfulness is a powerful approach to the modern day world.
What Is Mindfulness?
So, what’s it all about? Mindfulness is a way of learning to relate directly to whatever is happening in your life, a way of taking charge of your life, a way of doing something for yourself that no one else can do for you — consciously and systematically working with your own stress, pain, illness, and the challenges and demands of everyday life.
It’s the complete opposite of ‘mindlessness’, which I equate to just existing. It’s like a separation from self, as we live almost mechanically. When we’re mindless, we’re rarely fully present in the now, we forget things, we’re often fearful and tetchy. In order to move from ‘mindlessness’ to ‘mindfulness’ we increase our awareness of what’s happening in our mind, body, heart and soul.
Health Benefits of Mindfulness And Meditation
The medical benefits of meditation became of interest to American biologist and psychologist Jon Kabat-Zinn. In the 1990s he pioneered an approach known as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), which integrates meditation into the framework of cognitive therapy.
So how do you do it? Well for anyone running at 100-miles an hour out there, the idea of sitting still and thinking of nothing may be considered a waste of time or an impossibility. You know, “so I’m sitting here, goood empty my head …was that my stomach? …did I lock the front door? …do other people find this easy? …think of nothing …good …did I pay my credit card bill? …did I answer that email?…what will happen next week when I do that thing? …what if it doesn’t go how I want it to go? … empty my head …” Ok I’m sure some of you have been there!
Acceptance And Flow
Big picture – meditation is about acceptance and flow. So, even if you start by taking 5 minutes per day where you just do nothing and try to think nothing, this is a good way to begin. When my mind is racing, I’ve found guided meditations a great way to keep still. You’re focussing on someone else’s voice rather than the voice inside your head. You can either search iTunes for guided meditation or you can use free download sites such as this one.
Observation Is Key
Kabat-Zinn’s approach is to observe thoughts and mental processes (as well as body or physical processes) in a detached, and non-judgmental way; “to stay in the body, and to watch what is going on in the mind, learning neither to reject things or pursue things, merely to let them be and let them go.”
In mindfulness meditation we’re learning to observe thought processes calmly, without identifying with them, and realise that our minds have a life of their own. An idea of success or failure would merely be an event in the mind, rather than a vehicle to the conclusion “I am a success” or “I am a failure”.
It’s an interesting idea and a practice that can be challenging to achieve. And yet, Kabat-Zinn assures us that with practice, we can begin to know that each of us is more than a body and more than the thoughts that run through our minds. It’s more than developing a sense of wholeness. It’s about balance, it’s about confidence, self-esteem and realising the significant health benefits of releasing our stress valve.
Give it a go!
Find Out More About Working With Me
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