Mindfulness is simply the practice of bringing awareness, on purpose, to the present moment with an attitude of curiosity and kindness, free from distraction and judgement.
When we are being mindful, we are engaged in a moment-by- moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and environment. We are not caught up in re-hashing the past or worrying about the future.
We use meditation to cultivate a mindful practice so that we can then apply it to everyday life.
Mindfulness puts you in touch with your emotions. It provides a respite from the busyness of your thoughts and allows you to sit back and observe, bringing greater self-knowledge and clarity.
Learning to live more mindfully creates space between you and your feelings, enabling you to react more thoughtfully to stresses. Awareness of challenging emotions as they arise provides the opportunity to respond calmly with more flexibility and empathy .
The practice of mindfulness has been proven to have a profound impact on wellbeing, with an ever growing body of evidence consistently demonstrating its benefits – A reduction in stress and anxiety, increased calm, focus and happiness.
Scientists have now discovered that beyond increasing wellbeing, with neuroplasticity, mindfulness actually changes the shape of the brain ! Mindfulness re wires positive thoughts and emotions. The amygdala that deals with stress and fear can shrink in size, while the areas of the brain that deal in emotional regulation, increase in size.