Mindfulness is a form of self-reflection that increases your awareness, clarity, and appreciation of the “present moment.”
When you practice mindfulness, the present moment becomes your focus and intentional center of awareness – not the past or future. For example, when you go for a walk, when you get ready to go to sleep, or during whatever activity you may be doing you can practice mindfulness. You can concentrate on creating a heightened and more focused awareness of what you are seeing, thinking, sensing, feeling, and appreciating in the present moment.
When you intentionally focus on the present moment, you shift your attention away from your current preoccupations and distractions, like completing tasks and meeting deadlines, and you concentrate on what is unfolding right before your eyes. This keen focusing of your attention clears your mind and allows a vivid picture of clarity of what you are experiencing in your present surroundings.
With mindfulness, you achieve a higher form of conscious awareness, and this enables you to experience enhanced self-insight, peace, tranquility, and harmony between mind and body.
Getting Personal
Breath awareness
“To practice mindful breathing, set a timer for two minutes, close your eyes, and draw your attention to your breath. Without forcing your breath in any direction, simply witness the flow of air into and out of your lungs. Note any observable qualities or sensations. Liken your breath to an anchor, rooting you affirmatively into the present moment” (from mindfulnessexercises.com).
“For a few minutes I tried to empty my mind entirely, to concentrate solely on breathing: sometimes it’s useful to rediscover simpler pleasures of life.” (Romain Gary)
“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness.” (Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of mindfulness based stress reduction clinic)
“When we get too caught up in the busyness of the world, we lose connection with one another – and ourselves.” (Jack Kornfield, American author, Buddhist practitioner)
If you are interested in learning more about mindfulness, click on the following link:
**** Top of post image (Reflective Moment) by Anna Tarazevich, from pexels.com
