Mindfulness – Let There be LIFE in Your Life
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Why Mindfulness
The technique of mindfulness is slowly being accepted in the western society not just to treat stress and depression related disorders, but also as an art to lead a happy and peaceful life. The technique is astonishingly simple yet highly effective, provided you take the initial efforts to learn and then sustain it.
Mindfulness is English translation of "Sati", a word from the ancient Pali language of India, spoken by the Buddha, 2500 years ago. Other words pointing to the meaning of Sati are alertness, awareness, and remembering. All point to the act of conscious "knowing".
Mindfulness means paying purposeful attention to whatever is happening in the present moment, with attitudes of curiosity, impartiality and acceptance. Mindfulness is paying attention in a systematic way to whatever you decide to focus on, which can be your thoughts, feelings or emotions. By watching yourself, you discover how your thoughts and emotions have an enormous impact on the way you behave and take decisions.
Through mindful awareness, you discover how to live in an enjoyable and peaceful way in the present moment rather than worrying about something from the past or about the future. Stating simply, it is a commonsense living.
Mindfulness is English translation of "Sati", a word from the ancient Pali language of India, spoken by the Buddha, 2500 years ago. Other words pointing to the meaning of Sati are alertness, awareness, and remembering. All point to the act of conscious "knowing".
Mindfulness means paying purposeful attention to whatever is happening in the present moment, with attitudes of curiosity, impartiality and acceptance. Mindfulness is paying attention in a systematic way to whatever you decide to focus on, which can be your thoughts, feelings or emotions. By watching yourself, you discover how your thoughts and emotions have an enormous impact on the way you behave and take decisions.
Through mindful awareness, you discover how to live in an enjoyable and peaceful way in the present moment rather than worrying about something from the past or about the future. Stating simply, it is a commonsense living.
How to Practice Mindfulness
The traditional way to learn mindfulness is through mindfulness meditation. It involves developing awareness of the present moment, say through meditation on breathing or repeated chanting of some mantra. And then, using this alertness in a non-judgmental way to witness one's thoughts, feelings and experiences. The practice involves being ever ready to observe whatever comes up in the present moment in whatever form.
It also involves letting go, as the present moment turns past. It is watchfulness and letting go continuously. It is a wakeful experience of life, an alert but detached observation of the ongoing process of living. You train to remain neutral towards everything without criticism. You also make conscious efforts to see things without preference or prejudice. You suppress nothing and promote nothing.
You can also train in mindfulness going about your daily activities such as walking, talking to someone, driving to work, doing laundry, shopping - practically everything. In this way, you continue to deepen your mindfulness and train to stay in the present moment rather than habitually straying into the past or future. Even when you are resting, be mindful that you are resting or trying to relax.
In nut shell: pay complete attention to whatever you are doing. For example, while driving pay 100% attention to driving -- the traffic around you, signals, and traffic rules. If everyone drives with total mindfulness accidents will be almost non-existent.
Mindfulness for Dummies
This is a great book for anyone -- novice who have never been exposed to the art of mindfulness as well as those who meditate. It explain every subtle concept in the simplest possible language citing examples from real life. A ready desk reference for anyone who wants to apply mindfulness in real life or use it for meditation. Combined with the Daily Meditation 101 and The Mindfulness Solutions, you have a perfect prescription for a stress free life.
It also involves letting go, as the present moment turns past. It is watchfulness and letting go continuously. It is a wakeful experience of life, an alert but detached observation of the ongoing process of living. You train to remain neutral towards everything without criticism. You also make conscious efforts to see things without preference or prejudice. You suppress nothing and promote nothing.
You can also train in mindfulness going about your daily activities such as walking, talking to someone, driving to work, doing laundry, shopping - practically everything. In this way, you continue to deepen your mindfulness and train to stay in the present moment rather than habitually straying into the past or future. Even when you are resting, be mindful that you are resting or trying to relax.
In nut shell: pay complete attention to whatever you are doing. For example, while driving pay 100% attention to driving -- the traffic around you, signals, and traffic rules. If everyone drives with total mindfulness accidents will be almost non-existent.
Mindfulness for Dummies
This is a great book for anyone -- novice who have never been exposed to the art of mindfulness as well as those who meditate. It explain every subtle concept in the simplest possible language citing examples from real life. A ready desk reference for anyone who wants to apply mindfulness in real life or use it for meditation. Combined with the Daily Meditation 101 and The Mindfulness Solutions, you have a perfect prescription for a stress free life.
Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the small uncaring ways.
- Stephen Vincent Benet
Benefits of Mindful Living
Automatic correction to imbalances in life
Being lost in thoughts is a common experience. As you go about your daily activities, your mind roams around wherever it wants. You are preparing a presentation and want to finish it fast, but the mind wants to think about other things. You are cooking and put some stuff to boil for 5 minutes, the mind goes away on a trip, it comes back after half an hour when you smell something burning. It is rare to have your mind cooperate fully in what you are doing at any time. This is normal living.
We may call it living robotically or in a "automatic pilot mode". You hardly ever experience the world around you.
Isn't it silly that you go for a walk to relax, but your mind gets lost thinking about some office project. It harms you in two ways: First, you're missing the joy of the present moment, and second, you're making yourself anxious, stressed or depressed if your thoughts are unhealthyl. Although mindfulness is not about fixing problems, but it ends up achieves that, but in a different fashion.
You must have heard: What you resist, persists. The motto of mindfulness is: What you accept, transforms. It emphasizes acceptance first, and change may follow later, if warranted. So, if you are worried, mindfulness shows you how to accept the feeling of worry rather than denying or fighting the feeling. Paradoxically, change naturally comes about through this approach. More accurate way to say it is that mindfulness corrects imbalances and brings harmony in life -- provided you are practicing correctly.
Learn further: Holistic Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
We may call it living robotically or in a "automatic pilot mode". You hardly ever experience the world around you.
Isn't it silly that you go for a walk to relax, but your mind gets lost thinking about some office project. It harms you in two ways: First, you're missing the joy of the present moment, and second, you're making yourself anxious, stressed or depressed if your thoughts are unhealthyl. Although mindfulness is not about fixing problems, but it ends up achieves that, but in a different fashion.
You must have heard: What you resist, persists. The motto of mindfulness is: What you accept, transforms. It emphasizes acceptance first, and change may follow later, if warranted. So, if you are worried, mindfulness shows you how to accept the feeling of worry rather than denying or fighting the feeling. Paradoxically, change naturally comes about through this approach. More accurate way to say it is that mindfulness corrects imbalances and brings harmony in life -- provided you are practicing correctly.
Learn further: Holistic Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation
Mindful Laughter
How Mindfulness Works
Those with some experience of mindfulness meditation can testify that whenever you pay attention to any thing, the habitual thinking (mental wondering) is discouraged. It is the deep rooted habit of mind to wonder about in a haphazard way. This is precisely the reason why you have to struggle to concentrate on any activity.
With conscious watchfulness you don't fight your mind but acknowledge and respect its undisciplined tendencies of a spoiled child (and protect yourself from troubles!). Now you merely watch its wonderings rather than getting carries away in its thinking. You see all its activities as a disinterested witness -- thinking, criticizing, liking, disliking, scheming, imagining, and everything else.
This reduces your identification with whatever the mind is doing. Since you are no longer involved in these activities you are in a position to "merely watch" it from a safe distance. This leads to an interesting outcome: You become less self-absorbed and become more self-aware.
With conscious watchfulness you don't fight your mind but acknowledge and respect its undisciplined tendencies of a spoiled child (and protect yourself from troubles!). Now you merely watch its wonderings rather than getting carries away in its thinking. You see all its activities as a disinterested witness -- thinking, criticizing, liking, disliking, scheming, imagining, and everything else.
This reduces your identification with whatever the mind is doing. Since you are no longer involved in these activities you are in a position to "merely watch" it from a safe distance. This leads to an interesting outcome: You become less self-absorbed and become more self-aware.
Mindfulness Lowers Stress and Anxieties
It attacks stress at its roots
Did you notice how your relationship with your mind (and its idiosyncrasies) has undergone a subtle change?
You will still have unpleasant thoughts and feelings but you are not that much distressed. If you continue practicing, you will continue becoming less and less troubled. The extreme reaction of fight or flight, along with the accompanied hormonal secretions, will become less frequent and finally disappear altogether. It progressively reduces the pressure on your immune system.
This sets up a healing process inside you. You immune system gets better making you stronger and healthier, which further boosts rate of healing. The more you practice mindful awareness, the better. There is research to prove that monks, who've considerable experience of practicing mindfulness, have levels of wellbeing (measured in several ways) way above scientific expectations.
You will still have unpleasant thoughts and feelings but you are not that much distressed. If you continue practicing, you will continue becoming less and less troubled. The extreme reaction of fight or flight, along with the accompanied hormonal secretions, will become less frequent and finally disappear altogether. It progressively reduces the pressure on your immune system.
This sets up a healing process inside you. You immune system gets better making you stronger and healthier, which further boosts rate of healing. The more you practice mindful awareness, the better. There is research to prove that monks, who've considerable experience of practicing mindfulness, have levels of wellbeing (measured in several ways) way above scientific expectations.
Let the stress in your life become an excuse to practice mindfulness so that you can heal yourself!
For Reading Mindfully
- Mindfulness - Described in 12 Ways for Beginners
- Mindfulness is the foundation of Mindfulness (Vipassana) meditation. It has been described in several ways to make its meaning clear to anyone who wants to practice it.
- What Mindfulness Meditation Is Not - Common Misconceptions
- Despite popularity of various meditation techniques, people harbor a variety of misconceptions and miss the benefits. This article addresses 8 common misconceptions about meditation.
- Mindfulness - Did You Really Eat That Apple?
- Mindfulness means clear comprehension of the reality unfolding moment by moment. It is an important tool for personal development and meditation.
Mindful Feedback
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GirlLovesNature
Jun 24, 2011 @ 3:34 pm | delete
- I like this a lot. I struggle with anxiety and have been trying to learn meditation and mindfulness techniques for a while now, but every time I think I'm getting somewhere, life gets in the way and I stop practising. I know I should incorporate the techniques into daily life, but it's hard. I forget. I'm going to try again to see things in a "mindful" way.
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JJNW
Nov 17, 2010 @ 4:21 am | delete
- Very thought provoking. I thank you.
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