Introducing Mindfulness – A Practical Guide

What does it mean to be a human being? The mindful answer puts the emphasis on the word ‘being’. We are human beings, but we have forgotten how to be. We have become human doings, trapped in a mode of always doing, acting, achieving and keeping busy. When we stop, even for a moment, it can feel frightening and unnatural. Activity and busyness have become our default mode.

Mindfulness creates space for ‘being’ rather than ‘doing’
If you allow time for being, it will help your doing to be more productive
Set aside time for formal meditation practice – even 5 or 10 minutes a day is a good start
You can also train yourself to create little spaces, pausing often throughout the day. Use a sound, visual cue or activity as a reminder.

meditation practice, if we look and listen clearly to this internal voice, we may find that we are always giving ourselves a hard time. If our mind wanders, we chastise ourselves. If we are sleepy or irritated or angry, we blame ourselves. Or we turn this criticism outward, blaming the environment, the teacher or the practices

Mindfulness is not about having a mind that is empty and blank. Your mind will have lots of thoughts, and that is okay!

f you do experience any sense of calm, it is not from stilling the stormy weather of life, but from learning to ride its chaotic energy.

ith happiness, wellbeing and compassion.

meditation can strengthen areas of the brain associated

ot. By developing mindfulness, we can become more aware of the habits that make us unhappy or stressed, and start to make new choices

As we begin to pay attention to what is going on in our body, our mind and our environment, we can see how we get stuck on automatic pilot

you’ll need to actually do the practices