SUPER BRAIN POWER - What is Mindfulness

Firstly we have to differentiate between mindfulness and meditation.  They can overlap, but they are not interchangeable. They are often used in a similar context and that is where the confusion about the differences between mindfulness and meditation originate. 

Mindfulness and meditation embody similarities and can overlap, but they are not the same. Meditation is typically a formal practice, where you set aside a dedicated time and place to practice it. Meditation is an intentional practice, where you use focus to increase calmness, concentration, awareness, and emotional balance

On the other side, mindfulness is a practice of paying attention and being aware in the present in whatever you’re doing. Mindfulness is when you are noticing the world around you and being aware of your thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Mindfulness can be practiced anytime and anywhere, by being fully engaged in the here and now. 

People tend to go about their daily lives with their minds wandering from the actual activity they are participating in, to other thoughts of fears, worries, or what all they still have to do for the day. Being mindful is to be actively involved in the activity in the present moment. Mindfulness can be practiced in any situation throughout the day. Most people find it difficult to stay in the present moment. A Harvard study found that almost half of all people spend their waking hours thinking about something other than what they are doing. This kind of mindlessness is the norm, as the mind spends its time focused on the past, the future, or muddling in should have’s and what if’s. The study also found that allowing the brain to run on auto-pilot like this can make people unhappy. “A wandering mind is an unhappy mind,” the researchers said. Mindfulness prevents your mind from wandering and falling into the trap of allowing our minds to cause havoc in our lives.

Being mindful is engaging all 5 of your senses, your sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste, into the task we are busy with in the here and  now.

Here’s an example of a mindfulness practice you can try to get a better understanding of the concept:

When you are having your morning coffee, take notice of the following:

The smell of the coffee coming through your nostrils.

How the color changes when you add milk.

The rotation of the water when you stir your coffee.

The flavor of the coffee on your tongue.

The warming sensations down your throat and into your stomach.

 

This simple exercise will help you to give you an understanding how to tune into your surroundings and increase your mindfulness. When you apply this practice with all your everyday activities—even those you’ve done thousands of times—you will begin to notice new things about your surroundings.