What is Mindfulness?
Mindful: to be conscious or aware of something, in the present moment, used in meditation practice
The concept of mindfulness is a gift to our bodies and headspace each and every day. This is a tool I often teach to my clients, especially those suffering from anxiety, PTSD, depression, or disassociation. Mindfulness helps bring one back to the present moment. Not the past, not the future, but the now. As Ram Dass says, “Be Here Now”.
And how do we do this? How do we focus on the present? How do we embrace the now that’s available to us? Below are a few tips to be present:
Our true home is not in the past. Our true home is not in the future. Our true home is in the here and the now. Life is available only in the here and the now, and it is our true home.
Mindfulness is the energy that helps us recognize the conditions of happiness that are already present in our lives. You don’t have to wait ten years to experience this happiness. It is present in every moment of your daily life. There are those of us who are alive but don’t know it. But when you breathe in, and you are aware of your in-breath, you touch the miracle of being alive. That is why mindfulness is a source of happiness and joy.
▪️Mindful breathing [focus simply on your breath, going in and out]
▫️Concentration [whatever you are focusing on, focus only on that, whether it be your breath, a tree, the image of a kind face, a candlelit flame...allow the mind to focus on whatever is in front of you or your breath within you]
▪️Awareness of your body [notice what’s occurring in your body, notice where tension might be held and breathe into that sensation]
▫️Walking meditation [With every step, you touch the wonders of life that are in you and around you. When you walk like that, every step brings healing. Every step brings peace and joy because every step is a miracle.]
Feel free to lovingly experience a meditation practice on meta and mindfulness here on Insight Timer: Mindful Meta Practice
🖤 michelle
Welcome!
My name is Michelle Shlafman, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). If you are in the state of Georgia (USA), I’m currently accepting clients & would be honored to support you if we are a good fit for one another.