I was asked this week whether mindfulness was just a fad and whether it really is the answer to beating stress and creating greater contentment in life. In a word, yes, yes, yes! In itself it is a powerful tool to harness the mind and has great potential to change the nature of our daily experience. I think of mindfulness as a way of developing fresh eyes (and all the other sense organs), allowing us to connect with life as it unfolds. Mindfulness also lies at the heart of other potent mood and resilience boosting strategies like savouring and gratitude, so yes, it deserves its current popularity and place in the media spotlight.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is being in touch with the present moment – what is happening in the environment around us and what is unfolding within us. It is the art of conscious living. Our ordinary waking state is one that tends to be jam packed with reactive thinking, rumination about what needs doing, flitting forwards to what might happen next and diving back into replaying what has already happened. A state without mindfulness is like being on automatic pilot where all these mental phenomena just happen to us. Rather than being lost in this sea of thought and sensation, developing mindfulness puts us back in the conscious driver’s seat. It wakes us up and gives us back control.
Mindfulness according to Kabat-Zinn, one of the fathers of the tradition, defines it as ‘paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgementally. This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity and acceptance of present moment reality. It wakes us up to the fact that our life only unfolds in moments.’ If we are not alive to those unfolding moments we potentially miss out on a great richness of experience.
A key concept here is ‘nonjudgemental’. Practicing non-judgemental awareness can be liberating – rather than fighting what is held in the moment and then making knee-jerk reactions, we can acknowledge what is happening and how we feel about it, and then make a measured, better thought out response. Mindfulness gives you a greater sense of space between what happens in each moment and our response to it. It gives us the power to break automaticity and unconsciousness. It also gets us back in touch with our own inner wisdom and vitality
What Mindfulness ISN’T:
Mindfulness doesn’t mean that you are a passive recipient of life – you are still very much an active participant. You have choices and you can take action. The Mindfulness Tradition recognises that we are more than our thoughts, feelings, memories, and sensations and that who we really are is the witness to these passing states. That in itself can be a very radical and healing concept.
Cultivating mindfulness does not mean that we then don’t use our discerning mental capacity. There is a time for being deep in thought, for nutting out a problem, for losing ourselves in the joy of reminiscing or happy anticipation of something we are looking forward to. Mindfulness gives us the choice of how and when we harness our minds in a particular way.
How Can You Develop Mindfulness?
While mindfulness is a simple concept it doesn’t necessarily mean that it is easy to do. With practice and consistent application you will find that it takes root and becomes a greater part of your daily life. It is well worth the effort! Try these activities to get you started:
- Eating mindfully: Sit down and notice what you are eating – the smell, texture and colours. Take a small mouthful of food. Slowly and deliberately explore the sensation of it in your mouth, noting the texture and flavours in your mouth and on your tongue. Make the mouthful last as long as you can.
- Breathing mindfully: Wherever you are, feel the sensations of your breathing. Don’t try to change it, just breathe normally. Feel the inhalation and where it moves through your body. Notice the pause at the end of the inhale. Feel the release of the exhalation and notice the pause at the end of the exhalation.
- Sit mindfully: Stop and notice what is unfolding around you. What can you see, what can you hear, and what can you smell? Feel the sensations of your body – the grounding of your feet on the floor, the connection between your buttocks and the support beneath you, the elongation of your spine as the crown of your head lifts skywards. Notice too as your mind darts elsewhere and each time it does, bring it back to a non-judgemental experience of sitting.
Cultivate Mindfulness with a Berkhamsted Walk &Talk Session
Immersing myself in the beauty of Nature and the joyful sensation of movement are my favourite ways to both experience and teach mindfulness. It is a simple and effective way to learn first-hand what mindfulness is all about and the power it has to change the quality of your day. Book in for a Walk & Talk to develop your mindfulness skills, uplift your mood and boost your energy levels. It’s a great way to brainstorm a plan of action too – movement and being in Nature help us access our innate creativity. You’ll be amazed what insight comes to you while on a Walk & Talk.
Experience greater peace and contentment – Book in for a Berkhamsted Walk & Talk on 07951 440 255.
Mindfulness References:
You can’t beat Jon Kabat-Zinn for his pioneering and easily accessible work on mindfulness. Check out ‘Full Catastrophe Living’ and ‘Wherever You Go, There You Are’.
Eckhart Tolle is another mindfulness pioneer. Two of his books are in my top 10 favourite books of all time. I highly recommend to you both ‘The Power of Now’ and ‘A New Earth’.