MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION
“Knowing what you are doing while you are doing it is the essence of mindfulness practice”
– Jon Kabat-Zinn, Full Catastrophe Living
Most of us live life in what is called the “autopilot mode”, where we are not fully conscious of what we are doing, saying, or even eating. We live our lives spending considerable amounts of time in and energy in clinging to memories, regretting things that have already happened and is over, getting entangled in a painful past or caught up in thoughts and plans for the future. Mindfulness teaches us the power of living in the present, and this “knowing” is awareness itself, of the present moment as it is, as it happens, for it is the only time that any of us actually have.
The present is the only time that we have to know anything. It is the only time we have to perceive, to learn, to act, to change, to heal, to love.
One of most important part of our lives that we often tend to overlook, abuse, ignore and miss as a result of being in autopilot mode is our own body. We go though every day being largely unaware of the state of our body most of the time. As a consequence, we are ignorant of the extent of damage the environment, our thoughts, emotions and actions affect our body. Learning to listen to our body is vital to improving our health and quality of life. Mindfulness helps you to do just that.
A Short Mindfulness Exercise
Step 1
Sit with your back straight but not stiff, close your eyes and be aware of your breathing.
Step 2
Don’t try to control your breathing. Just let it happen and be aware of it. Simply try to observe how it feels, witnessing the breath as it flows in and out. Try being with your breath in this manner for three minutes.
Step 3
This experiment gives you a taste of what mindfulness is. It does not involve rejecting your thoughts or emptying your mind. It is simply allowing your experience to unfold moment to moment and accepting them as they are.
With Mindfulness Learn How To
- ✓ Suspend your ‘doing’ mode and shift over to a ‘being’ mode
- ✓ Make time for yourself
- ✓ Slow down and nurture calmness
- ✓ Watch your thoughts and learn ways to let go of them
- ✓ Make room for newer ways of seeing old problems
- ✓ Realise the interconnectedness of things
- ✓ Learn to cultivate awareness of Self and body
Gain access to short mindfulness workshops targeted at specific issues or areas of your life (fully customisable according to your needs) and comprehensive programs that guide you to use mindfulness techniques for effective stress reduction.