What Is
Mindfulness?
By Matt Clarkson
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Mindfulness is awareness of the present
moment. The present moment holds a potentially infinite number
things going on both inside the mind and out. If you are
mindful, any one aspect of experience does not overburden you.
There is a natural balance between thinking
and doing. You are not completely lost in an activity, neither
are you completely lost in thought. Whether you are eating a
meal, playing a musical instrument or making love, you are aware
of what you are doing.
Your mind is not blinded by judgment,
evaluation or any rigid way of thinking. Anything that passes
before the attention is accepted and welcomed. You simply
observe whatever is happening, without taking sides or forming
attachments to any singular mindset. You are mindful when your
mind is open to new thoughts, new ideas, new possibilities and
new ways of thinking.
Why is mindfulness important? A state of
mindfulness frees us from life’s entanglements. In day-to-day
experience, the conscious mind is always struggling to keep up
with an endless flow of changes in the external world. To make
it’s job easier, the mind creates a series of generalizations
and assumptions about our selves and the world so we don’t need
as much thinking.
Although we need generalizations in order
to make sense of the world, these assumptions also work to
prevent us from seeing the truth of ourselves.
Are you ever in the habit of making
identity statements about yourself? Do you ever say things like
“I am X” or “I’m not Y” (where X and Y are qualities that you
identify with – like confidence, outrageous, fear etc)?
The truth is that you are much more than
any singular emotion. Even though you might think you’re this
or you’re that kind of person, isn’t it true you’re capable of
doing the exact opposite – or even doing something completely
different?
We might say that
mindfulness meditation is
the process of becoming aware of the assumptions we’ve made
about the world and ourselves. Being mindful is realizing that
we are more than any apparent or passing limitation.
Mindfulness applies to all aspects of
life.
Whatever is going on, whether we are
working, running or enjoying a meal, we should be aware of what
is going on. Not overburdened with worries or dreams of the
future, not full of regret or longing for the past, just
experiencing the present moment in all its fullness.
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Matt
Clarkson has created a no cost e-course teaching simple
meditation exercises for busy people. Each "Daily
Meditation" is an exercise, inspirational message or tip to
help you calm the mind and reduce stress. If your health is
important to you, go here now:
==>
www.SecretsofMeditation.com |
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