What is Mindful living?
Mindful living means to be present and aware ALL THE TIME of the results produced from our thoughts, our emotions, and our actions.
What is Mindful Meditation?
Mindful meditation is simply exercising of the mind. The most common method is sitting meditation, but this can be expanded to walking, and eating. It can be done anywhere, anytime, and we are equipped with everything needed for a successful meditation session–YOU ARE ENOUGH. Just like going to the gym, we push ourselves to strengthening our minds by connecting to our breath and being curious with physical and emotional sensations that arise. A commitment to mindful meditation is a commitment to being completely in the moment.
What are the Benefits to Mindful living?
Mindful meditation has been synonymous with reducing stress, helping with anxiety, increasing awareness, increasing our focus, and helping to decrease depressive symptoms. Researchers at Harvard University found that grey matter(the “thinking” part of the brain) increased and the size of the amygdala (the “fight or flight” part of the brain) decreasedafter 8 weeks of mindful meditation–changing our perception of fears and emotions. Being mindful allows us to respond rather than to react to external circumstances. It helps us slow our thoughts down so that we can see beyond our initial emotions, this allows us to RESPONDto the situation with clarity, calmness, and sincerity.
Tanny J. 