Mindfulness isn’t trying to think of not thinking….rather its allowing our thoughts so that we might acknowledge them, begin to refocus them and be kind to ourselves for them..making space for what we believe and who we are.
I started practicing mindfulness around 6 years ago, after my Father died …I found being in the world difficult and particularly my relationships with others became difficult…
I found that to focus on my breath in any given moment..for a while..was all I could do… I found myself coping with the harsh realities of life by doing something akin to the deep breathing and panting you are encouraged to do during labour, I began to handle stress better when I was attentive to my breath, awareness of my body, its aches and pains and how I was taking care of myself. I then became more aware of my thought processes and how I was in a deeper sense than before.
Mindfulness helps us develop a CREATIVE MINDSET so that we’re able to connect with all the parts of ourselves, to be curious. Life moves from grey to colour as we regain a childlike excitement about life.
So, how does it work?
If we try not to think, we naturally fail. Instead, we start thinking of all sorts of things…like something a bully said to you twenty-five years ago; the money your ex still owes you, what you want to have for tea…
What we’re really trying to do at first is to become a witness to the serial inner monologue of our LEFT brain where we do all our processing and to try to step to the side, and let the thoughts pass by, moving our attention to our RIGHT brain.
Right Brain function is the quieter, deeper, dynamic aspect of our brain. It’s the bit that gets pushed away when we’re busy or in routine. We use it every time we notice love, beauty, melody, serenity and joy…when we find we’ve deeply entered into the moment. It’s what actually enables us to be ok.
Finding that easy way of being we start accumulating awareness, creative energy, appreciation, tolerance and peace. Suddenly, those persistent thoughts have a lot less urgency and importance.
We can experience a calm, self-assured presence that’s only possible when we give the crazy person in our heads a few moments off.
We don’t gain anything from mindfulness, but what we can lose through its practice as an intentional time and space to pay attention include sickness, anger, depression, insecurity, the burden of old age and the fear of death.
My practice is a simple process of bringing FOCUS, AWARENESS and KINDNESS to our thoughts.
I personally like to combine mindfulness practice with creative activity. Here you can see some of the activities I use with teenagers particularly. They are good activities to start with in combination with journaling and other forms of personal reflection.