Be. Here. Now.
'Mindfulness' is a very current and complex concept you may have heard or read about.
So what is mindfulness and how do you do it?
Mindfulness - What is it?
'The little things. They aren't little'
-Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness is a meditation technique aimed at focusing the mind on the present moment. It means paying attention a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally.
Now, bear with us, that's a lot to think about, but here we try to explain a little about the basics of mindfulness and how it can benefit you.
We are all masters of multi-tasking, busy within our day to day lives, moving from one thing to the next with a million things to think about during our busy day. Is it any wonder that we are constantly thinking about the next thing on our to do list before we've even finished the task in hand! In our rush to get things ticked off, we often lose that delicate connection with the present moment, the here and now, and we are simply not aware of what we are doing and how we are feeling in the moment.
Mindfulness: Awareness of the ‘Now’
Simply put, mindfulness is just the awareness of whatever is happening right now. However, there is another important ingredient of mindfulness which is non-judgement - the acceptance of simply what is. This involves not categorising experiences as pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad, but just observing them.
Benefits of Mindfulness
Scientists are now noting and documenting various advantages of Mindfulness including improvements in physical and mental health and overall well being.
These include alleviation of physical ailments and improvements in positivity, enthusiasm and overall state of mind.
Regular practice of mindfulness helps us to:
Gain insight into our own feelings and thoughts.
Have greater clarity in decision making as well as productivity and results in improved creativity.
Have more gratitude and spontaneity in life.
Developing Mindfulness
Taking time out for yoga or meditation in our everyday life can help us stay mindful and significantly improve the overall quality of our lives.
An element of mindfulness is present in all of our Yoga classes but for those of you who
wish to delve deeper into mindfulness, try our relaxation and meditation classes.