"Mindfulness" is a word that is popping up everywhere, and since yoga is such a good practice for developing mindfulness, we often hear this word in our yoga class. When our teacher implores us to practice mindfulness, just what do they mean?
"Mindfulness is simply having the mind full of what the body is doing in the moment," says Jaci McCarty, one of Focus Yoga's meditation instructors. "When we bring our full non-judgemental awareness to what we are doing, we guide the mind and train the brain to focus our attention."
"Train the brain" is an important phrase. We must remember that training the brain is like strengthening a muscle; at first our control may feel weak, but over time it gets stronger. Suddenly we may simply become more aware of our wandering mind, and that becomes a signal to draw it back into the moment.
"Our minds are very rarely focused on now; they are usually thinking in past or future, " Jaci shares. "Mindfulness is a strengthening tool that is practiced
throughout the day to bring the mind into the present moment, much the
way a formal seated meditation does."
How do you practice mindfulness? Here are a few ideas:
• When taking a shower, notice the sensation and the temperature of the water, the scents of the soaps, the feel of the floor.
• When doing dishes, examine each dish. Feel the slipperiness of the detergent. Pay close attention to the process.
• When walking, feel your feet on the earth, variations in your footing. Notice the scenery, colors, wildlife, colors, all the things you may often miss when the mind is elsewhere.
• When conversing with someone, give them your full attention. Listen to their words, how they relay their message, their expressions. Keep your mind on their message, without mentally jumping ahead to your response.
Remember, to be truly effective, "non-judgment" is an important component of mindfulness. When we include judgement in our observations, our mind is often remembering moments from the past that have shaped our opinions, or projecting into the future events that may or may not happen. To be truly in the moment, we need to observe only what is happening right now. That may be the hardest component of this practice!
Notice that much of our stress is created when our mind ruminates over past events, or imagines future ones. Given that, it's easy to see how the practice of mindfulness, much like meditation, not only strengthens our control of our thoughts, but reduces stress as well.
Mindfulness and meditation work hand in hand. If sitting on the cushion quieting your mind is difficult, begin with including pockets of mindfulness into your day. Those short moments will begin to train your brain, making a longer meditation practice more accessible.
If you'd like to learn more about the practice of mindfulness join Jaci McCarty at Focus Yoga on March 26, 6:45pm, for a Mindfulness Meditation. This class will clarify the practice, and help motivate you to include this important practice in each and every day.
"Mindfulness is simply having the mind full of what the body is doing in the moment," says Jaci McCarty, one of Focus Yoga's meditation instructors. "When we bring our full non-judgemental awareness to what we are doing, we guide the mind and train the brain to focus our attention."
"Train the brain" is an important phrase. We must remember that training the brain is like strengthening a muscle; at first our control may feel weak, but over time it gets stronger. Suddenly we may simply become more aware of our wandering mind, and that becomes a signal to draw it back into the moment.
"Our minds are very rarely focused on now; they are usually thinking in past or future, " Jaci shares. "Mindfulness is a strengthening tool that is practiced
throughout the day to bring the mind into the present moment, much the
way a formal seated meditation does."How do you practice mindfulness? Here are a few ideas:
• When taking a shower, notice the sensation and the temperature of the water, the scents of the soaps, the feel of the floor.
• When doing dishes, examine each dish. Feel the slipperiness of the detergent. Pay close attention to the process.
• When walking, feel your feet on the earth, variations in your footing. Notice the scenery, colors, wildlife, colors, all the things you may often miss when the mind is elsewhere.
• When conversing with someone, give them your full attention. Listen to their words, how they relay their message, their expressions. Keep your mind on their message, without mentally jumping ahead to your response.
Remember, to be truly effective, "non-judgment" is an important component of mindfulness. When we include judgement in our observations, our mind is often remembering moments from the past that have shaped our opinions, or projecting into the future events that may or may not happen. To be truly in the moment, we need to observe only what is happening right now. That may be the hardest component of this practice!
Notice that much of our stress is created when our mind ruminates over past events, or imagines future ones. Given that, it's easy to see how the practice of mindfulness, much like meditation, not only strengthens our control of our thoughts, but reduces stress as well.
Mindfulness and meditation work hand in hand. If sitting on the cushion quieting your mind is difficult, begin with including pockets of mindfulness into your day. Those short moments will begin to train your brain, making a longer meditation practice more accessible.If you'd like to learn more about the practice of mindfulness join Jaci McCarty at Focus Yoga on March 26, 6:45pm, for a Mindfulness Meditation. This class will clarify the practice, and help motivate you to include this important practice in each and every day.
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