What is Mindfulness?
“Paying attention on purpose in a particular way to the present moment non-judgmentally”
As complicated as Mindfulness may sound, it’s actually very simple.
Mindfulness starts by cultivating curiosity into your experiences. We often work in autopilot mode, which is when we don’t have to actually break down the steps or pay attention to what we are doing. Our body just knows what to do without thinking about it. This is how our brains work so we can free up space to process other important information. This is why you don’t have to re-learn how to walk, drive a car, cook meals, etc.
Unfortunately, we also can go into autopilot mode with our dysfunctional habits too. Think about the last time you sat down to eat a meal when you were overly hungry. Can you even remember the flavor of the food? The texture? Was it crunchy? Salty? Spicy? Warm? Cold? Soft? How did you feel while you were eating it? Did you notice when you started to feel full? If you’re like me, you might have went through the entire experience without noticing any of these things. Maybe even ate way more than you needed to and had to deal with a stomach ache afterwards.
This can also happen with our thoughts. Humans spend a lot of time lost in thought and if you are a person who deals with depression or anxiety, often those thoughts are worries about the future, regrets about the past, wishing things were different, or beating yourself up for not being the person you want to be.
Mindfulness practices allow us to bring more awareness to our experiences. It allows us to step out of autopilot mode and give us a choice in how we react. We can make choices about how we respond to stress, nourish our bodies, speak to ourselves, and communicate with people.
Like any helpful skill, we have to actually take the time to practice it. You can start by bringing your awareness to these experiences that you spend in autopilot mode. Use curious questions and engage your five senses- touch, taste, smell, sounds and sight. What sensations come up when you sit outside? What sounds do you hear? How does the air feel? Do you notice any smells? Open your eyes and start describing what you see. If you need help, you might do better with a guided meditation. There are so many resources out there on the internet at your disposal.
“Mindfulness is not mysterious. It is practical. It is more than a set of techniques to add to one’s toolbox. It involves personal practice and a willingness to be with our own thoughts and feelings with greater acceptance and less reactivity.” - Elena Rosenbaum, “The Heart of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction”.