WHY MINDFULNESS
Sometimes we don’t have a say in what happens.
We don’t have solutions.
We don’t feel safe.
Fear arises.
And our minds and emotions go into overdrive.
We create stories to make sense of situations, of people, of events.
But our stories can imprison us in suffering.
We get stuck in reactive cycles and stressful patterns of living.
Our thoughts and feelings and stories dwell in the past or in a fearful future yet to unfold.
We make choices and create our lives from these diminished states of being.
And live in states of anxiety and depression and longing for life to be different.
But what if you knew you are the difference.
That life is energetic.
That you and everything about you is an expression of energy in motion.
That you are an intrinsic part of life’s dance of energy.
Your body, your thoughts, your feelings, the very essence of you is a manifestation of interconnecting dynamic flows of energy that react and respond and constantly change form.
What if you knew that you can transform unresolved, stuck energy with mindfulness.
And when your energy changes, everything changes.
DEFINING MINDFULNESS
It’s important to define mindfulness so we don’t use it for escapism or avoidance.
Mindfulness is not magical or wishful thinking, or ‘airy-fairy’ feelings that all is well when it’s obviously not.
Mindfulness is about waking up to ourselves and what is truly going on within us and our experiences.
Mindfulness is the practice of continual conscious awareness of our thoughts and feelings and stories and surroundings and interactions.
Mindfulness is about self-observation and reflection, using a non-critical approach to awareness and experience.
You acknowledge negative thoughts and reactions and interactions, stress, turmoil, hurt, shame, sorrow, frustration, blame, fears, rage or resentments without judging them as good or bad.
You don’t run away from inner conflict, fight with yourself, pretend, distract, avoid, or deny what’s happening inside you.
You become conscious of what you are thinking and feeling and ‘watch’, without creating a story to make sense of what you experience.
Rather, you switch to noticing where any tension is sitting, what your body feels like, what your breathing is like, what you are thinking, what you’re doing.
You become an observer, rather than caught up in stress, dissonance, negativity, or drama.
Through breathing and meditation techniques, you learn to consciously release all tension and relax your body, until you become still, and present.
The present moment is your point of power for reclaiming and freeing yourself from suffering.
Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hahn taught that being present changes our attachment to mental and emotional patterns that create suffering.
His teachings remind us that, the past no longer is, the future is not yet here; there is only one moment in which life is available, and that is the present moment.
MINDFUL LIVING
You may have arrived at a point where you genuinely want to heal and change your life.
Mindfulness is a wonderful skill for learning to be present in the here and now, release stress, find clarity, and cultivate inner calm.
Using mindfulness techniques, we can grow beyond our old stories and reactive patterns.
Our minds will still think, that is the purpose of the mind, but mindfulness gives us space to choose which thoughts we listen to, what we choose to focus on, and what we act upon.
We learn to respond mindfully and intentionally, rather than reactively, in our daily lives.
But mindfulness is just the beginning.
Mindfulness doesn’t mean that we avoid self-responsibility or facing our challenges.
Mindful living means that until our last breath we continually learn and grow and heal, and make choices, and create constructive solutions that foster positive outcomes.
And sometimes our challenges and choices are not easy to face.
Yes, mindful living means learning to love and accept and have empathy for ourselves and others.
And sometimes the most loving thing you can do for yourself and others is to say enough is enough, and be honest in your relationships – including your relationship with yourself.
A mindful approach to conscious living includes learning how to identify and communicate your needs in non-violent ways.
A mindful life means living in alignment with your core values and awareness of how you interact with others – which includes learning how to develop healthy boundaries so that self-neglect, or being used, or abused, or manipulated, or ignored ends.
Ultimately, mindfulness plays an important role in reclaiming our authentic selves, healing trauma, processing unresolved stress, and freeing ourselves from suffering.
Mindfulness is like having an internal radar and compass that ensures your thoughts and feelings and words and choices and actions and lifestyle reflect what is truly important to you.
And that includes healing and moving on from situations and circumstances that no longer nourish your health and wellbeing.
More than anything, being fully present and living with awareness, clarity, inner peace, positivity, appreciation, discernment, healthy boundaries, non-violent communication skills, and self-directed empowerment results in a much happier, healthier life.
I leave you with the following resources to explore and learn more about mindfulness, and a free download page of tips and reminders you can print out and use for Living A Mindful Life.
Much Love,
Tracey.
MINDFULNESS WEBSITES
Jon Kabat Zinn
Mindful – healthy mind, healthy life
Plum Village – Thich Nhat Hanh
RESOURCES & PRACTITIONERS
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Offers a range of resources for mindfulness meditation practice, including books, guided meditation apps, MP3 download programs and guides, and links to courses and training worldwide.
The Centre For Non-Violent Communication – NVC
Offers learning resources and links to certified trainers in Nonviolent Communication (NVC) in over 65 countries.
The Trauma Research Foundation
Offers learning resources, books, an online library, and free online webinars led by experts in trauma and movement. You can practice during each session then walk away with easy-to-implement tools for whenever you need them.
https://traumaresearchfoundation.org/
Heart Math
HeartMath offers a range of resources including apps to balance the nervous system, self-regulate emotions, reduce stress, increase resilience, and unlock natural intuitive guidance for making more effective choices. You can also find certified practitioners worldwide.
RECOMMENDED READING
The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, And Body In The Healing Of Trauma
by Bessel van der Kolk
https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score
Mindfulness for Beginners: Reclaiming the Present Moment—And Your Life
by Jon Kabat-Zinn
https://jonkabat-zinn.com/offerings/books/
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation In Everyday Life
By Jon Kabat-Zinn
https://jonkabat-zinn.com/offerings/books/
The Miracle Of Mindfulness: An Introduction To The Practice Of Meditation
by Thich Nhat Hanh
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/the-miracle-of-mindfulness-9781846046407
Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through The Storm
by Thich Nhat Hanh
https://www.penguin.com.au/books/fear-9781846043185
Thich Nhat Hanh Book List
Plum Village Website.
https://plumvillage.org/about/thich-nhat-hanh/key-books
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SUBLIMINAL MEDITATION MUSIC
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https://youtu.be/LTOF44KgkEY?si=F4FvWU3DphaumyC-
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