Why Mindfulness?

In this article, I want to share why I see Mindfulness as the key element of personal development and healing, and why it is so much more than meditation.

Let's start with the most common definitions of Mindfulness.

• Mindfulness means to fully arrive in the present moment

• Mindfulness is the intentional and non-judgmental focus and awareness for the present moment.

• Mindfulness means to respond rather than react to your thoughts and emotions.

• Mindfulness means understanding how your thoughts create your emotions.
  

These are 4 beautiful ways, to define and describe what Mindfulness means, yet, it is so much more. While sitting on my desk and preparing an online Mindfulness workshop, I was thinking about how to deliver my message to my students, that Mindfulness is highly important for everybody. I wanted to find other definitions than the already known and this is what came to my mind:

Mindfulness means to unlearn what we thought to be true

and to learn, what is actually true for us.

This definition is the result of my own experience and practice of Mindfulness for several years.

The more time I spent looking inward, connecting with my heart and intuition, the more I identified what is true and right for me, and what is not. And I can tell you that there was a lot of conditioning going on. Beliefs I subscribed to, which never were mine, but rather "adopted" from society and parents or the result of a misinterpretation from experiences, such as:

• This must mean I am not good enough

• I can never make it right for others

• I need to meet other people's expectations in order to be liked

• My worth as a person depends on other people's approval and external success

It can be tough to identify these kinds of beliefs (so-called limiting beliefs) and truth be said, we all do have them to a certain degree but again, this is where Mindfulness is of great support. Remaining compassionate and kind, even in times when things are messy and confusing and knowing, that it will not remain like this forever.

It is only what you are aware of that you can change!

Mindfulness does not only mean awareness for the present moment, it also means awareness for yourself, your needs, your strength, and your inherent wisdom. Awareness for your intuition, which always knows what is right for you. Most of all, Mindfulness teaches you to remain kind and compassionate to yourself as well as others, while looking inward and maybe detecting flaws and shadows. Rather than beating yourself up and letting the inner critic control you, you remain in the space of loving-kindness and understanding. These are some more benefits of making Mindfulness a daily habit:

1. You will experience less stress

2. You will sleep better

3. You will eat slower and healthier

4. You will have more meaningful relationships

5. You will find it easier to forgive yourself and others

6. You will experience more harmony and ease in your daily life

7. You will experience an increased focus and ability to concentrate

8. Your emotions will not overwhelm you so easily anymore

9. You will experience less fear and anxiety

10. You will experience fewer stress-related physical conditions such as high blood pressure

Even these 10 benefits are not the entire list, but I think you already got the idea of what I'm trying to say. I will write another article with easy Mindfulness exercises for every day, so make sure to check it out!

Take good care, and stay safe!

Warmly,

Janina