Mindfulness is not about spending long periods of time, sitting in lotus position in a state of zen (that said, this does not mean this cannot be achieved). Nor is it about always seeing the bright side of life and having a positive outlook; as this is not sustainable, realistic nor particularly healthy (physically, mentally or emotionally).
Mindfulness is simply, the practise of living in the present moment, embracing the here and now, with deliberate awareness. I use the word “simply” light-heartedly as being mindful is a skill that is sometimes easier said than done, and like any skill, requires focused ongoing attention.
Being mindful is not about seeing the world through rose tinted glasses. It is about embracing life as it is - including the good, the bad and the ugly, with curiosity and loving-kindness to yourself. It requires learning to ‘let go’; aiming not to cling on to what has gone and no longer spending wasted energy grasping for what may or may not be.
Often, we drift through our day on autopilot, where our bodies are doing one thing, and our minds are somewhere completely different – our minds are living in our ‘virtual world’, lost in thoughts. Learning to be mindful, can help us notice (sooner) when we have slipped into this ‘virtual world’ and kindly bringing our awareness back to the present moment, the here and now.
“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different: enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way.” (James Baraz, 2007)
Mindfulness is accessed in two ways – through formal and informal practise. Formal practise is when the individual takes time out of their day to deliberately practice a mindfulness exercise or **meditation. This is deliberately spending the time to train your brain to become mindful or more deeply mindful. Informal mindfulness practise can be done sporadically throughout the day. It is about bringing mindfulness into our daily lives and day-to-day tasks, more generally, as we go through the day. It allows us to continue to train our brain to be more present in whatever activity we are doing. Formal and informal mindfulness are equally as important. Formal mindfulness helps us build up the skill and stamina of being aware and informal practice enables us to apply the skills we have developed into our daily lives. Practising one supports the development of the other. For some people, one practice suits better than the other, and that is OK – to practise one more often (or just one at all) is better than practising neither.
Why not try an informal practise today – you could choose a daily activity and complete it with deliberate awareness, using your senses to fully embrace that moment. This could include washing your hands, brushing your teeth, having your morning coffee or taking a shower. Perhaps you could set an alarm to go off one-to-three times a day, and take a mindful pause. Stop what you are doing (as long as it is safe to do so) and take in the view or sounds around you or from the nearest window. Any of the above do not need to take long, allow them to take as long as you can spare during that given moment. Please know, you are not trying to clear your mind of thoughts and it is perfectly natural for your mind to wander. On the occasions you notice your mind has wondered, kindly bring your attention back to the task you were doing – if you are able to do this, then give yourself much praise as this is exact moment you have been mindful!!
**Please note at Nirvora Wellbeing, guided meditations delivered via the structured Mindfulness Now Programmes are sent to you free of charge (as audio recordings); enabling you to build up a bank of meditations for you to access for personal use, as you continue your mindfulness journey.
