What is Mindfulness?
I simply define mindfulness as the practice of totally focusing on what is going on in or around you. It is what you are feeling physically or emotionally to the exclusion of everything else.
Example of Mindfulness
You notice how your buttocks feels as it is pressed to the ground, where there is contact, if your muscles are tense or relaxed, if it feels cushioned or pressed onto a hard surface. You become aware of what that part of you is experiencing internally and externally. You become aware of all of the sensations. This awareness forces you to stay in the present moment.
Benefits of Mindfulness
I am excited to see that new research has identified multiple benefits of mindfulness. Here are just a few examples:
- Stress reduction: Many studies show that practicing mindfulness reduces stress. Mindfulness meditation has also been found to increase positive feelings and to decrease anxiety. Researchers have concluded that mindfulness based therapy can also be useful in altering our thinking and feeling processes and improve our emotional regulation.
- Less emotional reactivity: Mindfulness meditation practice has been found to help people disengage from emotionally upsetting pictures and memories. When we are less emotionally reactive, we are better able to make use of our feelings and choose our behavioral response in words and actions.
- Relationship satisfaction: Several studies have found that a person's ability to be mindful can help predict relationship satisfaction, the ability to respond well to relationship stress and the skill in communicating one's emotions to a partner. In addition, empirical evidence indicates that mindfulness protects against the emotionally stressful effects of relationship conflict and is positively associated with the ability to express ourselves in social situations.
- Enhances our ability to focus
- Boosts our working memory
- Enhances self-insight and intuition
- Increases our immune functioning
- Boosts our cognitive flexibility
What practices do you use to increase your emotional mindfulness, maximize your emotional well-being, and createhe life you really want? Please share below ![:)]()
P.S. To read delightful articles on mindfuless, hop over to Bliss Habits and join the conversation during Mindfulness Week.
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