What is Mindfulness?



Mindfulness is a practice that teaches us how to use the power of our awareness to pay attention to what is arising within and outside of ourselves in the present moment. Rather than one filled with habitual reactivity, mindfulness trains us to pay attention to our immediate experience in a way that is genuinely accepting and non-judgmental. To stay close with our immediate experience and bathe it with the lens of clear-seeing. In this way, mindfulness is an inner resource anyone can learn to cultivate as awareness and the power of choice is something that we have within us.




Present Moment Awareness





With a focus on cultivating present moment awareness, living in the here and now sounds simple. However, being fully present is challenging for most of us.


This is because if we really dropped our distractions and awaken to the alive-ness of our experience, we will find that the present moment is often filled with a backdrop of discomfort, worry and anticipation.


This is completely human, as the natural tendency of the human mind is to worry, ruminate, plan and browse through the archives of the distant past and the unforeseeable future. While these functions of the mind can be helpful at times, more often than not living in such a state of activity depletes rather than nourish us.



“Mindfulness meditation doesn't change life. Life remains as fragile and unpredictable as ever. Meditation changes the heart's capacity to accept life as it is."
- Sylvia Boorstein



Why Learn Mindfulness?





Almost all of our mental and emotional pain stems from the way we relate to our thoughts and emotions in any given moment.


At times, it can seem like there are a thousand different thoughts or voices vying for our attention. The sensations in our bodies may also bring about a deep sense of pain and restlessness.


The human tendency is to prioritize relief in these moments. We quickly conclude that how we are feeling is problematic and jump into problem solving with desire to get rid and change our immediate experience. Mindfulness invites us to tend to these experiences in a radically different way: Don't be too quick to cast these experiences out as unwanted guests...


Slow down, connect, feel. Learn to tolerate the distress, and bear witness to what is arising within and around you with as little self-judgment as you can. Perhaps there is some wisdom buried within the discomfort. Mindfulness is not a quick fix and it will not solve all your problems, but it can certainly help you to relate to yourself with more awareness and acceptance.



Mindful Living On and Off the Cushion





While formal practices like sitting meditations are essential in helping us cultivate mindfulness; mindfulness is not confined to a strict sitting practice - it is a way of Being, a way of Life.


On and off the cushion, mindfulness is a quality of awareness that we can bring into each moment regardless of whether our eyes are closed or when we are engaged in the world. Our entire lives becomes the playground for us to be in this fresh and embodied way.




Learn how to Cultivate Mindfulness Today


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