What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the buzz word of the moment. Perhaps you have read a magazine article, perhaps you have tried to practice it… but then find yourself not incorporating mindfulness into your everyday life. Or perhaps you just keep hearing it mentioned but realise you have such a scattered mind that you definitely need the ‘Mindfulness For Dummies’ approach! Here at Starlight Cottage we particularly enjoy teaching mindfulness to both those who have never tried it before and to those who have tried and failed. It really is something everyone can learn and benefit from.
Mindfulness was described by Professor Mark Williams as: "Mindfulness means knowing directly what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment. It's easy to stop noticing the world around us. It's also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living 'in our heads' – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour. An important part of mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience. This means waking up to the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the present moment. That might be something as simple as the feel of a banister as we walk upstairs. Another important part of mindfulness is an awareness of our thoughts and feelings as they happen moment to moment. It's about allowing ourselves to see the present moment clearly. When we do that, it can positively change the way we see ourselves and our lives."
Mindfulness can help you manage your wellbeing and mental health. It can enable you to:
feel less overwhelmed
improve your sleep quality
positively change the way you think and feel about your experiences
increase your ability to manage difficult situations
reduce levels of stress
decrease tendencies to over-analyse
have greater self-compassion
Mindfulness is powerful because it can improve our mental health and reduce anxiety, as well as boosting our self-understanding and space for reflection. When we become more aware of the present moment, we begin to experience afresh things that we have been taking for granted. We can spot thought patterns which are unhelpful, and also start to realise that thoughts are simply 'mental events' that do not have to control us.
There will be plenty of opportunities to practice mindfulness and to discover what form suits you and your lifestyle best. On courses groups are kept small and it is a day designed to be fun as well as mindful! Individual coaching is also available.
“Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment. We also gain immediate access to our own powerful inner resources for insight, transformation, and healing. ”
Practicing mindfulness is a superpower - watch this video to find out why!
Something to ponder…
Mindfulness is all about awareness. That can be paying closer attention to your own emotional states and what you can do to shift negativity from your life and increase joy. It can be awareness of your senses and how much they can help you explore life. Or it can simply be awareness of the beauty to be found in a very simple and still moment.
