Have you ever wondered what is mindfulness? Do you have questions about what it means for a person to be mindful? Mindfulness, by definition, is quite simple. It is about being aware and being present in the moment. It is about awareness in the sense you are connected to your body and conscious of its feelings and sensations. How much you are mindful of and how much mindfulness can be of benefit, well that is all up to you.
Mindfulness is somewhat fashionable these days, with many people throwing the words 'mindful' and 'mindfulness' around when promoting various products, seminars, workshops, and even hashtags in social media posts. The big buzz we keep hearing is how if we ever want to be all we can be, then we must carry out all our daily tasks 'mindfully' to truly connect with our inner selves.
What is Mindfulness Really About?
If I want to reach this state of perfection and bliss, does it mean I need to completely shut out every thought that pops into my mind? Does it mean I am not allowed to think of anything else but the one task I am doing right this minute at the expense of everything else? Is it okay for me to relive a past memory in my mind at all, ever? Does it mean listening to my body when it speaks to me and taking time out to reconnect with myself?
Being Present in the Moment
Fundamentally, mindfulness is about being present in the moment, your moment. This sounds nice and easy enough, right? Well, as easy as it may sound, many people find the act of being present one of the hardest things to practice. Given a lifetime of bad habits and social conditioning, it can be a very real challenge for a lot of people to focus on one thing and one thing only, closing off everything else that might be competing for our attention.
All of this takes place without us even knowing it. How many times have you been working on a task and there has been something going on in the back of your mind vying for attention? You could be doing a task at work or a job at home and there is your mind, off thinking about what groceries you need from the store, what's for dinner tonight, the car insurance bill should be coming up soon, the list can be endless.
Our minds always seem to have us racing around on multiple mental tracks at the same time, and all of this in a modern culture that wants to be switched on, connected, and available 24/7 and where productivity, KPIs, and multitasking are the symbols of gold star success.
The opposite of this can also be equally valid. You can be in the middle of doing an activity, one you have done countless times before and is now oh so routine, that you don't even remember paying attention to what you are doing or how you are doing it, but you somehow manage to get it done.
Think about it: how many times have you driven your car through who knows how many sets of traffic lights only to reach your destination without remembering stopping at any red lights or even anything of the journey at all? Or even eating a meal and not being able to recall the smell or taste of the food you ate only minutes ago?
These are the signs of an active and anxious mind. Unfortunately, when the mind is constantly racing, thinking, and planning, bouncing from the past to the future and back again, we lose our awareness and connection with our physical bodies.
Being Body Aware
Having body awareness is about being able to observe present feelings and sensations in your body. These feelings and sensations may be subtle, or they may be significant. The point is you are aware and in the appropriate state to be able to experience what is coming through.
By being more mindful of present-moment perceptions and sensations, we bring ourselves more closely in connection with the present moment.
Pursuing entertainment by following the thoughts produced by our mind is an unconscious and habitual way of evading the reality of the present moment, or of pursuing the pleasure created by thinking these things. It is a way to escape boredom and fulfil one's craving for diversion.
The easiest habit we often fall into is assuming our mind and our body live separate existences and one doesn't influence the other. But have you ever taken time to reflect on the idea that your emotions and thoughts may have a direct influence on both your physical health and overall well-being? All those things you have swirling around your head all the time – the anxieties, concerns, fears, regrets, and sadness – might just start to weigh you down and eventually lead to illness.
When our thoughts, attention, and focus take us out and away from our present moment and zooms in on our anxieties, fears, and our insecurities, then we find ourselves discounting what we feel and sense in our body. We begin to dismiss certain signs and ignore things we previously may have been quite attentive to as we become more detached from our bodies and what we feel at any given moment.
From here our bodies can go into a type of protection mode when tension begins to become more prominent, and more defensive walls are raised. The more tension, the more walls. The more walls, the less feeling, and sensation. In the end, numbness consumes us.
How to Practice Mindfulness
By getting the body moving, through any type of physical activity, no matter how intensive, we bring our attention back into focus and back into the moment. And when we are back in the moment, we can more easily tune into how our body is feeling.
Emotions and feelings are incredibly powerful influences on the state of the human body. By remaining out of the mind and present with the sensations and vibrations being received throughout our bodies, we are better placed to maintain command over how we feel and how we choose to experience things through considerate and patient observation.
The Benefits of Mindfulness
As we delve deeper into mindfulness and start to get used to being more mindful in our daily lives, the challenge is to make it a regular feature for you by mastering it. This will come about through frequent practice and getting used to new habits and ways of thinking consistently over time. There are so many benefits to experience when it comes to practising mindfulness. Mindfulness helps with reducing stress, improves mental clarity, opens you up to receive enjoyment and vitality, and promotes an overall sense of calm and composure.
Reaping the benefits of mindfulness is just the same as seeing the gains from any other type of exercise or practice: it takes time. Anyone who promises you instant or speedy results, anyone marketing a weekend masterclass, or anyone promoting an instant fix is selling you false hopes at best and lies at worst.
Regular practice of mindfulness is a terrific instrument for recalibrating our emotions, feelings, thoughts, and physical state. It offers us the ability to have a greater awareness of how our mental processes take us into the past and the future and allows us to regain control over how we can positively guide our attention and concentration back into the present moment. And there is no better and more accessible method to this than to practice it.
Please be patient but persistent with yourself, as these are new ways of thinking and perceiving your body and the world. No gold stars or prizes are being handed out for rushing or for those who gain quicker results than someone else. Time is your friend and perseverance is your ally.
Your time spent thinking and churning things over in your brain will become less. This means less anxiety, boredom, judging, worry, and negativity. Your behaviour becomes less dysfunctional, so your overall life, relationships, and personal happiness are all enhanced. There is a purification of your subconscious. Every act for you will be as fulfilling as the amount of mindfulness you put into it.
What do I mean by that? Think of how the act of doing the dishes can be more satisfying than sex - and don't even get me started on mindful sex!
Mindfulness isn't junk science or alternative mumbo jumbo. Mindfulness is very real, and it absolutely is attainable. The more mindful you can be, the more fulfilled you are, in any situation.
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The information contained above is provided for entertainment purposes only. The contents of this article are not intended to amount to advice on your personal situation and you should not rely on any of the contents of this article. Professional advice should be obtained before taking or refraining from taking any action as a result of the contents of this article. The Writer and Shoshin Therapies disclaim all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on any of the contents of this article.
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