Mindfulness

What is mindfulness?

Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans. This quote by John Lennon is a good definition of what mindfulness isn’t.

Mindfulness does not involve multi-tasking.

Nor thinking about the past.

Nor worrying about the future.

Mindfulness is simply the process of keeping one’s attention in the present moment

Mindfulness can be cultivated by focusing moment-to-moment on what is taking place in your life and by giving whatever you are doing your full attention.

Mindfulness can also be cultivated by meditation techniques where one learns to pay attention to thoughts, emotions and sensations without judgment.

Learning to accept whatever arises in your awareness at each moment leads to a growing acceptance of both yourself and others as they are, not as you may wish them (or yourself) to be.

Researchers have discovered that practicing mindfulness improves health in a variety of ways including relieving stress, reducing pain, lowering blood pressure, alleviating heart conditions and improving sleep.

Mindfulness has also been found to improve mental health conditions such as anxiety disorders, depression, eating disorders and personality disorders.

By learning to cultivate self-acceptance during mindfulness practice, it becomes easier to accept whatever comes your way in your life.