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We have all had moments when we feel connected to what we’re doing, aware of what’s around us, and are free from worries, concerns, do-to lists and rumination … all that existed was that present moment. These experiences often happen when we are playing sport, out in nature, playing with our children, or are involved in a creative project. This is essentially mindfulness, even if we’ve not called it that.
What would it be like to have more of these moments?
Or to be able to choose where we put our attention?
In the mindfulness training, we are learning to step back from the automatic and habitual patterns of thought and behaviour, to enable us to explore new perspectives, new opportunities, and new ways to respond to what’s happening in our life. We are actually making structural and functional changes to our brains.
Mindfulness is for everyone. And is cultivated through formal practice (meditation) and informal practice (simply being aware during everyday activities). There is no need to do a course in order to practice mindfulness, but it can be helpful so that we have a greater understanding and appreciation of the practices, the theory, the application to our life, and to help overcome any self-sabotaging that might prevent us practicing.
With regular practice, some of the researched benefits are:
- Increased sense of well-being and contentment
- Greater appreciation of the joy in our lives
- Better coping with difficult/stressful situations
- Lower rates of depression, anxiety and panic
- Improved relationship with chronic pain and illness
- Increased level of choice in coping with addictions and compulsions
- Improved sleep
Anecdotally, students of Present Minds have shared that after learning and practising mindfulness they feel a greater sense of stability within themselves. They feel moments of utter contentment and peace. They have a greater ability to recognise their own destructive behaviours and choose to do things differently. And they notice, appreciate, and experience the wonderful things in their lives, and our moment by moment experience opens up a world that is intense, vivid, alive, and vibrant.