Why practice mindfulness? 

By practicing mindfulness, we pay attention to things as they actually are in any given moment (how they actually are so not how we want them to be) so that we can rediscover and appreciate things in life that we have been taking for granted. By paying attention to what is, we have the ability to reshape our restless mind and direct it away from its ruminative thinking that makes us feel exhausted and sad. 

Cultivating mindfulness can help reduce negative effects of stress (physically and psychologically) and help us become more aware of our responses to stressful situations and experiences. It will help us develop effective ways of responding positively and proactively to negative (or what we perceive as negative) situations 
in daily life. 

​What is mindfulness exactly?

"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way,
on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.
​This kind of awareness nurtures greater awareness, clarity and acceptance of present moment reality. It wakes us up to the fact that our lives unfold only in moments. If we are not fully present for many of these moments, we may not only miss what is most valuable in our lives but also fail to realize the richness and the depth of our possibilities for growth and transformation" - Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness is intentional

Most of our days we are on automatic pilot and just completely lost in thought. Did you know that on average we think 90,000 to 120,000 thoughts every day? By practicing mindfulness, we can be more aware of present reality and the choices available to us.


Mindfulness is experiential

By focusing on the now rather than the past or future, you will learn to enjoy the present moment experience. When we make an effort to be aware of the present moment, every experience, however small, will be different and more satisfying.


​Mindfulness is non-judgmental
​
If we want to see things the way they actually are in the moment, we have to have an open mind and observe without judgement. When we approach daily tasks with a beginner's mind, we feel more complete and content with what we do and our lives in general.
 

"Our essential nature is usually overshadowed by the activity of the mind" - Alistair Shearer

© 2019 Siska Vergauwe