What is mindfulness?

Practising awareness.

Mindfulness, like using the concentration applied to meditation, is a process of simply returning our attention to the present moment. It is natural for our minds to wander to thoughts, maybe of yesterday’s unhappiness and possibly to tomorrow’s worries. If we can develop the skill of being totally “in the present moment” we can, to some extent at least, free ourselves from these unhappy and worrisome thoughts.

• Get out of thought mode and into being mode experience each and every moment

• See thoughts as “just thoughts” allow them to just arise and leave.

• Do not allow the automatic pilot to take over – you remain in control.

• Learn not to engage with the spontaneous thoughts with which you are bombarded. Simply acknowledge them and let them go.

• Do just one thing at a time

• Accept things as they are unless you can change them.

Relationships – Most of us have said things which we subsequently come to regret. If we are Mindful, why would we do that?

Frustrations – Most of us have forgotten what we “went upstairs for”, when we get there! If we make an effort to be Mindful, that couldn’t happen.

A good way of starting to develop Mindfulness, is to try to notice everything, including and especially your own reactions