Introduction to mindfulness

Mindfulness can be defined many ways but most simple and practical approach is to bring your awareness in to the present moment experience and noticing it without judging only through your own interpretation, because our own interpretations are based on limited information and limited awareness.

We can improve our awareness through mindfulness.

Everything we see, hear, smell, touch, taste and feel are subjected to how we perceive and interpret with our own limited knowledge about them.

Therefore they do not give us the true and whole picture of what we perceive. It is like a blind man touching one part of an elephant and interpreting what an elephant is.

When we begin to notice things, places and people as they are without bringing our own interpretation so firmly, we tend to open and allow different perspectives and different views. Then we begin to notice them differently to how we perceived before. When you change the way you see, what you look at change.

When we begin to see things with openness our mental reactions and physical activity change. Then our expectations change. We will not get so tensed, upset and angry, when things do not go according to the plan. We learn to accept things that we can’t change and we learn to change us if things are not acceptable to us. We will learn not to depend on others to please us.

Mindfulness practice trains the brain to be in a state of heightened awareness of our thoughts, emotions and reactions in the body to our emotions. It is not easy to discipline the mind to remember to be aware without being distracted. That requires repetitive practice.

Every time when you notice that you mind has distracted and you are not aware that you are aware, bring the mind back to the present moment awareness. Every time you notice distraction, you become mindful. The more times you notice your distraction, the more you become mindful.

There are many ways to maintain your conscious awareness in the present moment.

Simply,

Be aware of your breath,

Be aware of what you are thinking and

Be aware of your body posture and sensations

Be aware of your surroundings.

When you are fully aware of all of the above, you begin to feel grounded, relaxed, calm, confident and contented.

Comments

To Be Or Not To Be A Vegetarian Is The Question

Meat consumption and vegetarianism are both two ends of the same stick. They are both created by people for the same reasons, thinking that both are right. Being right is only one of the reasons and you will find the other as you read. But this billion dollar question has no such simple answer or one right answer. Let's look at the big picture. All vegetarians are not vegetarians because they love animals. Most vegetarians do so because of health reasons. Many animal lovers are also meat eating people. They eat meat because they too believe it provides nutrition and also they love the taste. Humans kill animals for various reasons and most people who kill animals are not the ones who eat them. They kill to sell and killing animals is a legal and acceptable trade which is a significant source of economy of certain countries such as USA, Argentina, Australia and New Zealand. If people don't eat animals then there is no trade. But animals would be in pe...

Daily Mindfulness Practice of Gratitude

We go about our daily life without appreciating little things that can give us immense satisfaction and innocent pleasures in life. We dont have to do much, but only by noticing and appreciating them we can bring peace and happiness to our lives. How about making a habit of waking up to our senses feeling happy and contented everyday. To experience true and lasting happiness and contentment we need to be in touch with pure consciouness. When we just notice the things that our senses capture without our own interpreatation or judgment we are in touch with pure conciouness. All we need to do is to pay attention to what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch and feel without naming or shaming, blaming or praising. Just noticing them and acknowledging them as they are, we become aware of the most magical and precious gift that we all have received as a human being, that is the ability to be aware of pure consciousness that we truly are. As I wake up or any time in the...

What is So Good About Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the state of present moment awareness without interpreting with our own judgment. It is an impersonal experience. Anxiety, anger, panic, fear and stress are all caused by not being in the state of mindfulness. One cannot explore and experience the true nature of the body, mind and the environment without being in the state of mindfulness. We are not fully aware of our experience when we are not mindful. We cannot use the body, mind and the environment appropriately, safely and for our benefit when we are not mindful. You can see with clarity only when you recognise what is distorting reality such as assumptions and denials.It removes our blindfolds and makes us see what we haven't seen before. It removes our fixed views and can be life-changing. That helps to adjust any imbalances in life. Mindfulness allows us to see clearly the influence of our mind on the physical body. It also makes you see that the sadness, depression, fear an...

Dr Sophie Jayamaha

Search This Blog