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Introduction to mindfulness

By Dr Sophie Jayamaha



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.

© Copyrights reserved by Dr. S. Jayamaha 2016-10-05

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