Are you Being Mindful?

Why Mindfulness is Important –
10 Benefits of Mindfulness and How to do it!

What is mindfulness? You may have heard about it, you may know somewhere in the back of your mind that it’s supposed to be a good thing or maybe you are an experienced practitioner. Whatever your relationship with mindfulness, let’s take a moment to be mindful about mindfulness!

Mindfulness – What is it?
Mindfulness is being truly connected, aware and present in the moment. When we are being mindful, we are not only paying attention to what’s going on outside and around us, we are also paying attention to what’s going on within us.  We are paying attention to it all!  We are focused, we are awake, we are HERE, now. Mindfulness is an activity and requires effort. Like most beneficial things, you also get better at it with practice. But why should you practice it? Read on for 11 amazing benefits of MINDFULNESS and a few tips on how to practice being mindful.

The Benefits – MINDFULNESS…

  #1 – Brings you into the present moment.  When we are actively paying attention to ourselves & our surroundings, we can’t help but be in the present moment. In fact we MUST be present in order to be mindful. Being in the present moment reduces stress & anxiety, helps us think more clearly, grounds us and gives us a sense of balance. It can also help connect us to joy & gratitude.

#2 – Offers you more Choices. When we’re mindful, we’re not blindly acting without thinking first, we are taking the time to stop, look, listen & assess. When we act without mindfulness, our choices often aren’t being made consciously but through habit or as a result to reactive emotions. Mindful awareness offers us more opportunities to CHOOSE, we recognize more avenues and options available to us.

#3 – Opens you to more possibilities. Mindfulness makes us more aware of the bigger picture. When we are paying better attention to everything that’s going on, we are able to see more. Rather than being trapped or hyper-focused on a singular thought or occurrence, our minds are open and receptive to all that is happening. Our perspective is broadened, we notice more things, more options & ideas are revealed to us. When we practice this type of open-mindedness, possibilities abound!

#4 – Strengthens your communication skills. Being mindful means active & focused LISTENING. Being a better listener instantly makes you a better communicator! Mindfulness also helps you tap into non-verbal cues more easily, which is essential for advanced communication skills. Awareness of your own self in the moment also helps you to choose your words wisely.

#5 – Connects you to compassion. When we are really aware of what’s going on around us, we become more aware of others. We notice things about those who we interact with and our connection to others is increased. Connecting with others connects us with our compassion. Usually, compassion is lacking in a relationship or situation not because there is no compassion, but because the awareness of the other has been cut short. Once we really start paying special attention to what’s going on with each other, compassion usually comes naturally.

#6 – Helps you to express yourself clearly & honestly! Have you ever said something that you didn’t really mean? In the heat of the moment you say something, only later to realize that it’s not how you feel or what you really want. When we are mindful of our own feelings, thoughts and actions we give ourselves the chance to really check in and know how we feel and what we want before we express it. Sometimes we say things that aren’t true, not because we are intentionally lying but because we haven’t stopped to ask ourselves and to know our truth.

#7 – Accesses your Core Confidence. Being mindful helps us connect to our Authentic Selves. When we become practiced at really checking in with and knowing ourselves, we become more confident in ourselves as well. We are able to connect with our true authenticity and stand in it comfortably.

#8 – Creates Balance.  Being fully mindful means paying attention to both the inner and the outer world EQUALLY, or as equally as you possibly can.  This practice brings balance between our thoughts and our actions, the internal & external. Being in balance makes us more grounded, stable, and better to take on the challenges life throws our way!

#9 – Exercises your brain.  Mindfulness and meditation are brain training!  When we deliberately practice being mindful we are leaning to use our brains more effectively. We increase our focus, improve our memory and many other benefits that come from meditation can be found in mindfulness practice as well!

#10 – Gives you POWER.  When we actively practice mindfulness we become reconnected with our own inner strength. When you are mindful, you are more able to remember who you are, remember what your priorities are, and remember intentions. You aren’t being pushed along by whatever is happening, mindlessly being dragged into or under the flow (different than going with the flow, mind you, which is a much more mindful practice – a choice to embrace what’s happening).  You are awake, alert, alive, noticing and choosing your next steps, and connected to & in alignment with your inner truth.  This gives you the power to choose, the power to create the life you want through the mindfulness of your actions.  In this state, you have the power to break old habits and pursue new goals.

HOW TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS:
A few simple reminders to help you get into the action of being mindful!

• LOOK OUTSIDE – USE YOUR SENSES:  Listen, look, feel, taste. Really pay attention to the experience you are having by tapping into these senses.  What is happening around you? What do you notice?
• LOOK INSIDE – USE YOUR “6^TH SENSE”:  This is your intuition, your gut feeling – it’s a feeling that you get from within. Don’t forget to register any messages coming from this sense as well!
• CHECK IN WITH YOU:  How do you feel emotionally? Anything coming up for you? Take a moment to assess your feelings & ask yourself why you may be feeling the way you do. Valuable information lies in our emotions, energy level & reactions.
• TAKE TIME: Stop & give yourself time to register the information that your senses (inner & outer) are telling you! Get used to stopping what you’re doing for a moment to check in with this information & see what’s there.
• BE STILL: Being still is an excellent way to allow mindfulness to occur. By stopping our movement & slowing down our thoughts we create an opportunity for our minds to recognize the experience we are having, more directly in the moment. Notice your breath. Breath work or meditation is an excellent stillness practice for mindfulness.
• ASK QUESTIONS: When we’re still, new or unexpected thoughts & feelings can come up. Contemplate these ideas or emotions, see where they lead.  Get curious & ask questions!  Mindfulness is also a type of exploration of what’s true.
• BE OPEN: Be open to whatever answers may come. Be open to the thoughts & feelings that come up. Allow the natural flow of things to occur and just observe.  When we are more open, we remove blocks that may distract us and our awareness is increased.
• REMEMBER: Make mindfulness a habit!  Remind yourself often to be mindful. Train your brain to remember to be mindful!
• START AGAIN:  If you lose your sense of mindfulness, just pick it back up again. Do this again & again & again.
• PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!