Why mindfulness??* Maybe you are just curious about Mindfulness
* Maybe you have heard or read that practicing mindfulness is effective while experiencing anxiety , stress, worries, (chronic) pain, sleeping problems, fatique, burn out, or physical problems and you would like to know if mindfulness can help you deal with this in a different way * Maybe you would like more peace and quietness in your mind * Maybe you would like to be less occupied by your thoughts and your mind * Maybe you would like to experience how to be more aware in your life * Maybe you would like to feel more calm * Maybe you would like to experience how to enjoy the little things in life * Maybe… The word mindfulness, you see and hear it a lot these days. But what is it exactly? When you are ‘mindful’, you are in full awareness of the moment, without judgment. You are aware of what you are experiencing in your mind and body, and you can allow for things to be as they actually are, at that moment. You pay attention, with kindness and curiosity and then choose your behavior. You probably recognize it…your mind is somewhere else than at what you are actually doing. ‘Did I really drove all the way home?”, ‘’I don’t remember where I put my keys’, ‘Why did I walk into the kitchen?’. But maybe it’s different for you. You are experiencing physical pain because of illness or injury, or you feel down, anxious, exhausted or stressed. You feel you are on the edge of a burn out. Our thoughts, they just don’t stop. They are a continues stream running through our minds. Without us noticing we are on our ‘automatic pilot’ many times, we are not really here and aware. We are in our doing modus, instead of being. We are in our mind and thoughts, instead of in our bodies. We are missing our appointment with life... By practising to be mindful (aware) you learn yourself to be more in the ‘here and now’, in the present moment. This way you discover that you do not always have to do or belief what your thoughts tell you. You learn to recognize your automatic pilot and that YOU can choose if you want to act on that or not. You can practise to be mindful in all your daily activities. From brushing your teath, to drinking coffee and walking on the streets. By learning to be more in the present you become aware of how your mind works. It is not learning how to stop your thoughts, but it's learning to notice how they behave and influence your behavior and action, so that you can choose if you act upon them or not. If you practise and feel mindful on a regular basis you will feel more calm, less stressed, more aware, joyful and alive! Would you like to learn the basics of mindfulness? Join me for a 8 week MBSR course starting November in Portugal! |
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