Mindfulness and Meditation
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment instead of lost in the worries of our minds. As humans with brains that are highly evolved for problem solving, so much of our time is spent worrying about the future or ruminating about the past. Although some degree of planning is a necessary part of life, many of the problems we anticipate do not actually end up happening. On the same note, although learning from mistakes in the past is necessary for personal growth, staying stuck in obsessive or self-berating thoughts is not productive or beneficial. All of that worry and regret leaves us feeling tense, stressed and unsure of ourselves. Mindfulness can help to pull you out of this rut. You can learn tools and techniques from the mindfulness tradition that can help you to clear your mind and tap into the vitality of the present moment. Many of these tools use your own sensory experience as a grounding force so they are easy to learn and always accessible.
Mindfulness is the practice of being present in the moment instead of lost in the worries of our minds. As humans with brains that are highly evolved for problem solving, so much of our time is spent worrying about the future or ruminating about the past. Although some degree of planning is a necessary part of life, many of the problems we anticipate do not actually end up happening. On the same note, although learning from mistakes in the past is necessary for personal growth, staying stuck in obsessive or self-berating thoughts is not productive or beneficial. All of that worry and regret leaves us feeling tense, stressed and unsure of ourselves. Mindfulness can help to pull you out of this rut. You can learn tools and techniques from the mindfulness tradition that can help you to clear your mind and tap into the vitality of the present moment. Many of these tools use your own sensory experience as a grounding force so they are easy to learn and always accessible.
Meditation is one way to cultivate mindfulness by choosing a focal point for the mind and attempting to focus on it for an extended period of time. In doing so, we can create discipline for the mind, increasing our ability to have control over what we want our brain to focus on and to have access to a place of peace inside of ourselves during stressful times. This works because the brain is like a muscle in that the areas we use the most become stronger over time. As we cultivate the ability to direct our attention towards a particular focal point, the parts of our brain that are dedicated to allocation of attention and ability to control impulses become more developed and complex. The particular skill we are cultivating also improves. For instance, if we focus on our breath to clear our mind, than our ability to clear the mind during stressful times is improved. If we focus on positive affirmations, then our ability to be compassionate and loving with ourselves during difficult times improves.
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