Meditation and Mindfulness
To be mindful is to be aware of the thoughts and emotions that are occurring at any given moment and not being carried away by them and to allow yourself to perceive what is happening NOW without looking back on the past or projecting in to the future.
Being aware of what is happening in the present allows your brain acknowledge the state of your emotions without being judgmental. Every activity that defines daily living can be carried out with mindfulness. It is important to recognise what is happening in the current moment but also to refrain from analysing it. This is the only way to develop open-mindedness in decision-making and problem-solving.
Meditation is based on the state of being mindful, by choosing an anchor for the mind to focus on. Some meditation disciplines focus on various aspects of the present moment such as breathing, listening to sounds either intentional or non-intentional and this becomes the reference point to which they return when the mind is distracted by thoughts. If you are like most people, you probably think that being in a state of meditation means that the mind is blank from any form of thinking. This is not the case, the mind will always produce thoughts, the trick is to observe them but not to get carried away by them. By being aware of our thoughts and not being influenced by them we get a chance to take a break from the constant bombardment of fears, anxieties, and worries and come in to the present moment away from all of these emotions that are all rooted in either the past or future.
There are many ways in which one can meditate and it is best to learn various techniques from someone who is an expert in the field. If you are keen enough, you may also find sitting in a group where people are meditating useful. Different people have mastered the art of meditation for different reasons and therefore there are many teachers and institutes of meditation.
Being mindful of what is happening in your body works on the mind by focusing concentration on a single element. As the levels of concentration continue to rise, you will be able to feel a flow of energy rush through your body. This has the effect of opening up your senses and gaining an insight into the nature of the mind and body.
The mind controls all the actions of our bodies so it is obvious that it needs extra strength to keep up with our daily routines. While the mind is in most cases engrossed in strategizing and analysing, it thrives on harmony and being calm. Mindful meditation tunes the mind into a position of strength without putting in a lot of effort, and that is good news. We all know that eating well is good for us, we know that exercise is good for us but we forget that we also need to nourish the mind on a daily basis. Meditation and mindfulness like good nutrition and exercise is the next big health revolution.
