“The core invitation of mindfulness is for you to befriend yourself. That means recognizing and inhabiting your own intrinsic wholeness and beauty in the only moment any of us ever has—namely this one.” -Jon Kabat-Zinn
Can mindfulness improve mental health? We hear a lot about it these days and it seems to have entered the cultural zeitgeist. So what is the fuss about mindfulness and can it help you?
My personal journey into mindfulness began with my yoga practice about 20 years ago, when I was feeling exhausted and stressed. With a demanding career and a family to care for, I needed ways to recharge my batteries. Yoga helped me to stay fit, but it also left me feeling calmer, more grounded, and refreshed. In fact, returning to the mat felt like a battery reset each time. Twenty years later, it still does. Yoga, with deep roots in Hindu and Buddhist spirituality, is not just physical conditioning: it is breath work and mindful attention to the present moment. All that time, I had been benefitting from mindfulness.
Like yoga, mindfulness calls you to stay present by focusing on the breath, the postures, and the room. This simple yet powerful act can create space between ourselves and thoughts and feelings. Allowing thoughts to pass like clouds in the sky instead of getting entangled in them keeps us in the here and now. It is more like having a wise friend with us rather than the noisy traffic of our thoughts. With the benefit of quiet and space, stress melted away. Eventually, I practiced mindfulness off the mat; in meditation, on nature walks, and in ordinary activities.
Jon Kabat-Zinn says that mindfulness is an “awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.” It seems simple, but it takes practice. We can put distance between the constant barrage of rants, meanderings, and fixations of the mind, and make room for a kinder, more compassionate approach to ourselves. Tara Brach describes mindfulness as “a pause – the space between stimulus and response: that’s where choice lies.” When we allow time and space between a stressor and our reaction, we can consciously choose how we respond to our experiences. Through mindfulness, we can see that life is like waves in an ocean that rise and fall. We can surf the waves instead of being overwhelmed by them. With mindfulness as a way of life, we can act with greater intention towards our life visions.
Studies point to the benefits of mindfulness. Mindfulness can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression among other maladies. As mindfulness is a kind of neuroplasticity, we can actually change our minds to live better, healthier lives. We are not doomed to feel anxious, depressed, or stressed. When we turn our attention inwards, we can observe our thoughts and begin to treat ourselves with more compassion. We can feel the gift of the present moment, and act with thoughtful intention. Through mindfulness, we can experience a more meaningful and intimate relationship with ourselves, our loved ones, and the world.
