When I am asked “What is mindfulness?” I could refer a few sources such as the NHS definition which says, “Mindfulness involves paying attention to what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment.”
Then…
Kabat-Zinn states that “it is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”
Also…
The National Library of Medicine explains “Mindfulness brings about various positive psychological effects, including increased subjective well-being, reduced psychological symptoms and emotional reactivity, and improved behavioral regulation.”
The Benefits
So what are the benefits of mindfulness? From my years of experience, I have observed that mindfulness is a practice that can calm and settle the mind even after one session. I have witnessed that it has a profound impact on the quality of our lives when practised regularly and can lead to serenity and insight.
When we reduce the usual ‘noise’ in the mind, it creates clarity from which better decisions can be made.
It is important to say from the outset that it does not eliminate life’s problems, but by altering the way we see pain or suffering. It is by being aware of the way we internalise suffering into our mindset, and by seeing how we react habitually to these stresses, we are able to realign our relationship with suffering and reduce its effect.
So how does Mindfulness do this?
It’s important that individuals relax the mind and calm the constant thinking activity that is normally on auto pilot mode. We can do this by focusing on the breath and watching whatever arises in our mind. During mindfulness, we watch how perceptions of the past, present and future arise and cease as momentary thoughts, feelings and sensations without getting involved in a storyline or comment. The key to mindfulness is this constant watching or awareness, whatever thoughts or sensations arise we just see it, leaving it alone without comment or judgement. It involves knowing where your mind is and being in the present moment. This is what calms the mind and brings a sense of peace!
I believe even 5 minutes of mindfulness is better than 60 minutes of getting caught up in a sequence of stories and thoughts.
I remember facilitating a guided meditation session with parents of child who was a patient at a hospital. We started with relaxing the body, then followed with mindfulness of breath and allowing natural feelings to come and go. This process followed by directing thoughts of loving kindness to their child who was in intensive care. This directs the energy of distress and pain to a positive path, calms, allows expression of love and enables a bit more clarity.
The parents of the child were so appreciative as the practice of mindfulness allowed them to experience a more relaxed and peaceful state of mind.
Ven Saddhananda clarifies our understanding even further. Here he makes comparisons of what mindfulness is and what its not.
| Mindfulness is: | Mindfulness is not: | |
| Disciplined | Doing nothing | |
| Takes effort and practice | Having a rest | |
| Constant period of actively maintained awareness | Trance or self-hypnosis, or prayer | |
| Some degree of focus/concentration. | Day dreaming | |
| Awareness including awareness of discursive thinking | Making the mind blank. Zoning out | |
| Being with the present moment | Getting rid or removing anything | |
For more information and tips on how to keep mindful during a normal working day visit our contact us page.
To experience our Mindfulness sessions for yourself or a group of your employees, resulting in a healthier workforce.…take the first step by visiting our website and clicking on ‘book now’ select chaplain Medi or ‘book a discovery call’.
