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Mindfulness 101

At its heart, mindfulness is actually incredibly simple. Being mindful is about paying attention to what is going on in and around us. And it’s about living with intention, responding to what’s going on in a conscious and deliberate way.

When people talk about mindfulness, they often describe feelings of calm, relaxation and happiness. It’s important to know that these can be benefits of adopting a more mindful attitude to life, or taking up a formal mindfulness practice like meditation. But pleasant feelings aren’t the aim of mindfulness.

Instead, being mindful helps us:

  • Recognise what is going on, without attachment or judgement
  • Wake up from our unawareness, so we can begin to act in more conscious ways, rather than being on autopilot
  • Regain a sense of control, helping us navigate our inner world of thoughts and feelings more safely
  • Stay firmly rooted in the present, rather than replaying old memories or worrying about the future.

As we become more mindful, it’s possible that we will encounter difficult, troublesome and even traumatic thoughts and feelings. These are as much a part of our experience as the happy feelings of relaxation and calm. We’ll explore this more over the coming lessons.

Most of us get a sense that mindfulness might be good for us, but being mindful can be difficult in practice. If we’re honest, most of us aren’t paying attention most of the time. But mindfulness is a skill like any other, and it’s one can anyone can develop.