What is Mindfulness?
The term mindfulness comes from contemplative traditions, mainly Buddhism but including others.
Mindfulness is the awareness that comes about by purposefully paying attention in a non-judgmental way, to what is going on in your body and mind, and in the world around you in the present moment. Staying in touch in this way from one moment to the next, this shift in awareness, can lead to seeing things somewhat differently, perhaps to feeling less stuck, or to a sense of having more options, more strength and more confidence in your possibilities, more wisdom.
Mindfulness doesn’t depend on what is happening, but about how we relate to what is happening. It approaches life from a place of compassion, with no self-judgment, no matter what challenges may have to be faced.
“No one needs to be fixed, because no one is broken”
Donald McCown
Mindfulness is about……
- Increasing our awareness and concentration
- Generating greater energy and enthusiasm for life
- Increasing our self-confidence
- Helping create the ability to cope more effectively with both short and long-term anxiety and stress, pain or other difficulties
- Improving relationships at home and at work
- Improving communication with family, friends and colleagues
- Increasing overall well-being
- Helping to deal with a specific vulnerability (e.g. depression)
Mindfulness is NOT about…..
- Learning to relax (although this may happen as a consequence of practicing)
- Coming into a trance or “another state. Rather it is a “falling awake” to a clear seeing of how our mind, and consequently our world, works
- Emptying the mind. On the contrary, we are getting up close to the mind
- Running away from reality. With mindfulness, we are actually running towards reality.