The Gentle Power of Mindfulness
We live in a very busy world where we are constantly bombarded by the information super-highway. From the time we rise to the time we sleep, we multi-task like octopuses.
Our phones are in always in reach. We listen to the news, search social media & respond to emails.We struggle to keep our houses in order whilst juggling our everyday commitments.
In our rush to accomplish these endless lists, we have lost our connection with the present, missing out on what we’re doing and how we’re actually feeling in any given moment. We have to re-learn how to down tools, switch off & gather our thoughts.
Mindfulness is the practice of focusing our attention on the present moment and accepting it without judgment. It has been found to be a key element in happiness. The cultivation of mindfulness has roots in Buddhism, most religions have some type of prayer or meditation that shifts your thinking away from our everyday thoughts towards an appreciation of the moment and the bigger picture that is life.
Practicing mindfulness can bring improvements to both our physical and psychological health.
Mindfulness improves wellbeing
- Being mindful make
s it easier to savour the pleasures of life as they occur. This helps you become fully engaged in activities, and creates a greater capacity to deal with adverse events - By focusing on the here and now, we are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past
- By centering ourselves we are less preoccupied with concerns about success and raise our self-esteem
- Being mindful enables us to form deep connections with others
Mindfulness improves physical health
Scientists have discovered mindfulness techniques help improve physical health in a number of ways:
- Helps relieve stress
- Treats heart disease
- Lowers blood pressure
- Reduces chronic pain
- Improves sleep
- Alleviates gastrointestinal difficulties
Mindfulness improves mental health
In recent years, psychotherapists have turned to mindfulness meditation as an important element in the treatment of a number of problems, including:
- Depression
- Substance abuse
- Eating disorders
- Couples’ conflicts
- Anxiety disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Some experts believe that mindfulness works, in part, by helping people to accept their experiences, including painful emotions, rather than react to them with denial and avoidance.
Join me for my 4 week Introduction to Mindfulness course starting Thursday 5th May where we will explore different mindfulness practices that can help us be more present in and aware of ourselves and our surroundings.