Mindfulness. What is it?
We find ourselves in a heightened state of stress, anxiety and overwhelm more and more. We are multi-tasking, chaotic role-juggling and flitting from one thing to the next at a crazy pace. With our minds being pulled in so many different directions every day, it becomes almost impossible to focus fully on what we are doing in the moment. Lack of sleep, inability to focus, less time to connect both with ourselves and with others and rushing…always rushing! For so many of us, this has become our version of ‘normal.’
Mindfulness. What is it?
You’ve probably heard of mindfulness, but what is it really? Basically, it is the act of paying attention, in detail and on purpose to what is going on in the present moment. It means waking up out of autopilot and taking the steering wheel of our attention again.
Science says.
Even though the effectiveness of mindfulness is underpinned by neuroscience, we continue to resist slowing down and taking time out. But science states that when we practice mindfulness our brains change. The frequency of waves shift from a heightened state of fight or flight and into a frequency that supports creativity, problem solving, clarity and calm
The impacts of an unsettled mind have an enormous impact on our bodies. When our minds are out of balance, our bodies will follow and an unbalanced mind will compromise our ability to experience optimal health, no matter how well we eat or how much we move.
Modern day life has caused us to deviate from our natural state of mind. The natural mindset is still, present, calm, aware and focussed. For us to return towards this way we have to consciously, deliberately and mindfully choose to live another way. With mindful awareness we have the ability to nurture our minds, slow down our thoughts and experience a much greater sense of wellbeing.
Mindfulness can be practised by anyone.
Thanks to research, mindfulness is no longer considered ‘hippy woo woo’ or confined to health retreats and ashrams. Today, mindfulness is practiced by millions of people all over the world. Now there are so many ‘mindful’ activities that we can try. These activities aren’t complicated or time consuming. They don’t require you to sit cross-legged on the floor. In- fact mindfulness can take the form of a completely informal practice like going for a walk, brushing your teeth, stretching…Any routine or activity can be made into a mindful practice when you bring your full attention to it.
The quality of our thoughts are fundamental to all aspects of our wellbeing and our life and therefore it’s so important to carve out space in our busy lives to take care of our minds like we do the other parts of our body. If you haven’t already, why not find out for yourself what it’s all about? If you are interested in learning more, please don’t hesitate to reach out.