Mindfulness matters – but what is it? What is mindfulness? People throw the word around all the time. We talk about being mindful, mindful meditation, and even mindful breathing. The word is used so often it feels like a buzzword, something we interject into the conversation to emphasize or create a sense of spirituality. While spirituality is an intrinsic part of it, according to mindful.org “mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we are doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.” That is concrete.

Then what does mindfulness do for us? Sure, mindfulness improves our health and makes us more relaxed. Can mindfulness accomplish more than just improving our alertness and lowering our blood pressure?  Those things are great, but can mindfulness also improve our situations and interactions with others?

Mindfulness is a tool that produces a more natural state. It contributes to a sense of wanting solve problems, wanting to be healthier, and wanting to do right by others. We already have those desires in us, yet it seems that stress, anxiety, depression, and obsession often prevent us from acting on our better angels.  Mindfulness is a tool that can take us out of those dark spaces and support our awareness of the present moment. In this space we can come out of overreacting and calmly deal with what is happening.

 

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. What is Mindfulness? – Mindful

Mindful.org

The Golen Rule – A Mindful Practice At first glance treating others with the care we’d want for ourselves doesn’t appear mindful. It’s just kindness, and done naturally, seemingly without awareness of doing anything special. It certainly does not appear to have anything to do with sitting in mindful meditation. But, if we think about it, mindfulness has everything to do with how we treat others in our daily lives. It is not a practice that changes who we are. It does not mean that we become righteous. It enhances what we already are. The part of us that naturally wants to help those in need. Paying attention and being aware are things we do every day. We watch out for cars. We listen to others and seek to resolve issues daily. Remembering to see ourselves in others is simply being mindful of another’s humanity. Consciously practicing the golden rule is mindfulness in action. We are in the present moment and aware. We are facing our thoughts and understanding the moment. When we keep ourselves present and empathetic of others, we are actively creating moments of care for ourselves. We help ourselves and help others.