Mindfulness has become somewhat of a buzzword these days. It is no surprise that big brands are jumping on board. In stores we can find anything from mindful beauty products, to water bottles, to even mindful mayonnaise and butter. We see and hear about it constantly. Although commercialism may see it otherwise, mindfulness really has less to do with the external world and more to do with our internal experience. The latest research states the benefits of mindfulness, including decreased stress and sadness, and increased focus and productivity. But what is mindfulness really?
Mindfulness means intentionally bringing awareness to the present moment experience without judgment.
Intentional. Mindfulness means purposefully choosing to tune into our present moment experience whether it be positive, negative, or neutral. Many of us live our lives on “autopilot”; our day is a never-ending to-do list. We move throughout our day, and therefore our life, in a rather habitual way. Our thoughts are often planning for the future or reflecting on the past; leaving little time in the present moment.
Experiential. By tuning into the present moment we are more fully able to experience the world around us. Have you ever had something that you really looked forward to and then once you were actually doing the activity, you weren’t really even “there”? Maybe your thoughts were ruminating about something that happened earlier or stressing about the future. I am fully raising my hand here with you! As an avid traveler, I have visited some pretty incredible places. One thing I quickly realized is that you can be in the most beautiful place in the world, but no matter where you go, your thoughts, habits, and judgments come with you. It takes practice and presence to notice when we are in “doing mode” and to bring our awareness back to “being” in the moment.
Pause for a moment and consider a positive experience where you felt truly present. What did it feel like in your body (heart, mind, soul)? What senses were present? What could you smell, hear, touch, taste? Pause for a moment and really experience what that was like.
Pause.
What would it be like to experience life more in this way? How is it different than the way we experience our typical day to day? Time will continue to pass. These moment-to-moment experiences are the accumulation of our life experience. I truly believe we can create positive change in our lives and the lives of those around us through more mindful moments.
Non-judgment: Mindfulness allows us to see things as they actually are, not what we judge them to be, allowing us to view our life through a more gentle and compassionate lens. This means instead of judging as “good” or “bad” we can be curious about our thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This allows us the possibility to respond instead of react, meaning that we have the power to choose our behavior.
Did you find this definition of mindfulness too long and drawn out? Sometimes kids know best. Hear how kids in the 8-week Kids Mindfulness program define mindfulness: