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Getting Started with Mindfulness - Mindful
What meditation is
Meditation is exploring. When we meditate we venture into the workings of our minds: sensations, emotions and thoughts.
Mindfulness meditation asks us to suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness, to ourselves and others.
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What mindfulness is
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.
Jon Kabat-Zinn
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. And then I sometimes add, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
Basics of Mindfulness Practice
- You don’t need special equipment, but you do need to set aside some time and space.
- Observe the present moment as it is.
- Let your judgments roll by.
- Return to observing the present moment as it is. Our minds often get carried away in thought.
- Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up.
A Simple Meditation Practice
- Sit comfortably.
- Notice what your legs and arms are doing.
- Straighten your upper body—but don’t stiffen.
- Soften your gaze. Drop your chin a little and let your gaze fall gently downward. It’s not necessary to close your eyes.
- Feel your breath. Bring your attention to the physical sensation of breathing.
- Notice when your mind wanders from your breath.
- Be kind about your wandering mind. Practice observing them without reacting.
- When you’re ready, gently lift your gaze. Take a moment and notice any sounds in the environment.
Reasons to practice mindfulness
- Understand your pain. Mindfulness can help you reshape your relationship with mental and physical pain.
- Connect better. Mindfulness helps you give your full attention to people you interact with.
- Lower stress.
- Focus your mind. Meditation hones our innate ability to focus.
- Reduce brain chatter, that nattering, chattering voice in our head seems never to leave us alone.
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Mindfulness in major religions
Instructions for mindfulness meditations have been found in ancient texts of nearly every major religion, but it's Buddhism that exemplifies best mindfulness meditation: it...
Meditation and healthcare
Meditation has drifted from its religious connections and has been adopted by psychologists, healthcare professionals and other secular organizations as an effective way to deal with the stress and illnesses of the modern world.
3 core components of meditation:
- Awareness: Focus on developing awareness.
- Non-Judgement: Witnessing an experience or sensation without attachment or criticism.
- Peace: Though your feelings are valuable, mindfulness teaches you how to find serenity despite them.
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Mindfulness and simple knowing
Mindfulness is the act of being aware of our present experience in real-time.
Normally people start processing inside their minds what they experience, creating perceptions. At its core, ...
One Medicine Many Cures
Mindfulness can be practised to:
- Manage pain, anxiety, stress, or mood swings.
- Provide the body and mind an oasis of calm in between a hectic lifestyle
- Reduce suffering, distress and trauma caused by pain and depression, along with the negative emotions that come with life-threatening diseases.
The Space Inside Us
Mindfulness opens up a space inside our minds that helps us respond to outside situations with ease, instead of just reacting impulsively.
We become aware and are able to detect our default setting, which is our ‘driven-doing mind’, and catch hold of it before any impulsive reaction is acted upon. It also helps us arrest our cycle of negative thoughts.
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