~ Written by Alyssa Coon ~ RPCc- Wellness Coach & Counsellor
Mindfulness is the practice of becoming more aware of your present moment without judgment and without thinking about past events or the future, for in reality, this moment is the only moment which we truly have. We have become out of touch with this sense of awareness, because we have become so out of touch with a connection to the rest of our senses. We no longer have a separation between our being and our doing – instead much of the day is spent on auto pilot, rushing from task to task and not being truly present at any one time. This behavior creates a continual state, where we now see without seeing, hear without really hearing, touch without touching, taste without tasting and live without living (and without being fully present in this very moment).
Russ Harris says that mindfulness is a sense of awareness with openness and curiosity - when we bring the practice of awareness into our everyday experiences in the present moment- instead of getting lost in our thoughts (and living in our mind) even if the present moment experience is unpleasant or painful; it is a powerful practice to just be open and curious about the experiencing –observing with out judgement.
We are in a constant state of ‘auto pilot’, lost in our thoughts of what we need to do in the future, or constantly replaying past events, which at this moment we have no power over. Because we are in this state of autopilot we are not even aware of the gifts we are missing from this present moment. Often we think negative thoughts about ourselves, and may be so caught up in the thought of “I can’t do anything right!” when, in reality we should be saying, “I’m having a thought that I can’t do anything right”; which will begin the process of separating us from our egoic thoughts and helps us to live more in our true divine nature. When we can begin to see the separation between our thoughts and our higher Self; then feelings of stress, anxiety, anger, depression or even physical sickness can fall away from us because we more are in a state of alignment with our higher selves.
By introducing mindfulness into everyday living it can help to lessen the amount of stress in your life, improving states of depression, anxiety, skin disorders, obesity, but most importantly mindfulness helps you to live your life to the fullest!
There are many areas in our lives where we can bring mindfulness into our lives, and the one technique which I would like to introduce to you for this very moment is ‘the power of your breath’. Breathing is the simplest mindful technique of all. Be mindful of your breath, take a few moments right now to check in with yourself for a “mind-ful moment” and take a few deep breaths – feel the air in your lungs and feel the air fill out your belly. This breathing practice can help with stress, as our breathing tends to become very shallow during times of stress.
Anyone can enjoy the benefits of practicing mindfulness, as it has no necessary religious background to it- though it has origins from Buddhism and Eastern philosophy.
I hope to see you at my “Mindfulness for Everyday Living” seminar at Alchemy & Elixir Health Group at suite 320- 1026 Davie St., Vancouver BC (www.alchemyelixir.com) on November 23rd, 2011 at 6:30 pm. For more details please contact me directly at 604 626 9884. Alyssa Coon ~ RPCc- Wellness Coach & Counsellor
