The buzz words ‘Mindfulness’ and ‘Meditation’ have become interchangeable in every day parlance and for me they are not the same thing. For me Meditation is just one means to become more Mindful. According to the Collins Dictionary ‘Mindfulness’ is ‘the practice of giving complete and non-judgmental attention to one’s present experience, used as a stress-reduction technique” and “a way of training your mind to concentrate on the present, in order to feel calm and improve your mental state”. For me Mindfulness is a state of being; it is a calmness, a peacefulness that occurs when I am present in this very moment. Meditation is just one tool to achieve a state of Mindfulness. There are so many more…For some people its running, cycling, climbing mountains, yoga, baking, cooking, chopping wood, walking in a forest, staring at the waves in the sea, watching children sleep, knitting, writing, singing, playing or listening to music…the list is endless. It is different for everyone.
Some people tell me they never experienced Mindfulness and to you I say; have you ever had a feeling where you felt everything and nothing at the same time? A state of knowing you have lots of thoughts and worries but for some brief moments you didn’t attach emotions to them and felt peace? A state of pure joy and bliss? Just happy? We all have experienced Mindfulness in some shape or guise, the trick is to build it into our everyday practice so we feel this feeling as often as possible because the benefits are enormous. On the physical side; Mindfulness has been proven to lower blood pressure, restore balance to digestive system, relax nervous system, relieve muscle tension, reduce headaches/ migraines, relieve insomnia, release fears and reduce anxiety. On the mental and emotional sides; Mindfulness helps people become more positive and focused, improve clarity, improve mental and emotional wellbeing, happier with work and life. Who doesn’t want this?
So my question for you is; What does it for you? How do you do you Mindfulness?
By sharing this, we help others see opportunities for Mindfulness where they didn’t see before. Let’s all help one another out!
Belinda Murphy, Wellbeing Consultant
00353 87 9584430, belinda@belindamurphy.com
