Mindfulness- Is it the same as meditation & How to apply it to everyday life

What is mindfulness? Is it the same as meditation? How can I apply it to everyday life? What are some of the benefits of mindfulness?

Mindfulness seems to have had a growing popularity as of late, and there are many questions that have followed. Mindfulness is an ancient practice, dating all the way back to Buddhist, monks, and nuns of the old world.

Mindfulness-

1. The quality or state of being conscious or aware of something
2. A mental state achieved by focusing on ones awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting ones feelings thoughts and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Being in a state of mindfulness suggests the mind is fully attending to what is happening in the present moment, rather than the past or future. It involves the acceptance of our thoughts and feelings completely free of judgement. We are born in a society where we are raised with a 'default mode', taught to ignore our urges, feelings, and sensations in effort to be more productive, entertained, wealthy... the list goes on. We live in a reactive society; consistent practice of mindfulness helps us to achieve a state of non-reactivity to oneself and the ones around us. It enables us to gain control over our self-sabotaging or negative thought patterns.

How do you react when presented with a difficult task? For an example scenario, you are bad at math, but are challenged with a difficult math question on a test. Do you proceed determined, then get upset when you can't figure it out? Do you call yourself derogatory things, like stupid or dumb? Do you immediately give up because the just the sight of it gives you anxiety? Imagine if you looked at that math equation with no pre-judgement about your performance, or if it is "right" or "wrong". Imagine if you opened yourself to the possibilities of the experience, trying something that may not seem to feel good, but accepting and acknowledging these thoughts and feelings without judgment. Where would it go? What would you learn about yourself? Would you surprise yourself and answer the question correctly? Regular practice of this allows us to be able to apply this in more dramatic situations, such as conflict or anger.

There are many forms of meditation, mindfulness is just one form of meditation practice. So, is mindfulness meditation? Yes! Is meditation mindfulness? Sometimes! Some meditation practices are focused on clearing the mind, while others are directed at developing altruistic states- even using yoga or walking as a means to develop awareness. Mindfulness is the awareness of some-thing, mediation is the awareness of no-thing.

Things to remember

• There is no right or wrong way to practice
• What works for one person may not work for another
• No matter how much your mind wanders, part of the experience is accepting that and not getting upset about it. Just continue to come back to your breath
• Mindfulness meditation is a form of clear mind meditation

Simple Everyday Mindfulness Practice

1. Sit or lie comfortably- if you want to add mindfulness to a consistent routine, try picking a convenient time of day to practice.
2. Close your eyes. Use a face mask to block out the light if you desire, but beware of falling asleep.
3. Breathe. Not a controlled breath, just your natural flow of breath.
4. Focus your attention TO your breath. How does it feel? What parts of your body are activated by your breath? How do these activated parts feel? Acknowledge all of these feelings and maintain this for about 2-3 minutes. After time and practice, you can try going for longer periods of time.

Benefits of mindfulness

• Lowers blood pressure
• Improves circulation
• Less anxiety
• Less stress
• Lowered heart rate
• Lowered blood cortisol levels
• Deeper relaxation
• Better sleep