Live mindfully because past is gone and future is unknown!

We often hear or read this word 'mindful' and we are not very sure what is the real meaning behind the word. Mindfulness is the psychological process of purposely bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgment or bias. Mindful living is a part of the process Mindfulness. Mindfulness or mindful living entails the involvement of bringing awareness from mind to heart.

The essential components of mindfulness or mindful living are mainly giving attention. WE have to focus on listening, watching, or considering what naturally exists e.g. directing and sustaining attention on a selected object, such as the sound of a chime or the sensation of the one’s breathing. It is mainly bringing your mind to complete awareness of the situation present.

It should be our basic intention to purposefully increasing awareness of experience through presence of being in the moment now and here. Practice openness by being curious, objective and non-judgmental about experience e.g. simply observing, with no explicit focus on particular objects; noticing thoughts, emotions and physical states.

The mental benefits of mindfulness are that it increases folding of the brain tissue, which allows the brain to process information more efficiently. It also helps in regulating emotions and fighting memory loss. Apart from these benefits it helps in helping the individuals heal from depression, anxiety and post traumatic stress disorder. Physical Benefits of Mindfulness are in addition to reducing stress and boosting relaxation mindfulness helps in lowering the stress-induced inflammation.

It also reduces pain of rheumatoid arthritis, risk of heart disease and helps with irritable bowl disease. It is also scientifically proven that mindfulness improves sleep and aids in weight loss. Mindful Living can be practiced through mindful eating, spending a mindful day or through mindful meditation. The fact is that we are always able to observe others, criticize others, judge and find faults or find qualities in others. We can see their own shortcomings, and areas of improvements in others. We are always busy looking, admiring, criticizing, or following others.

This is however evident from our daily lives being occupied with social media, television, books, attending seminars and presentations and almost every part of our daily existence these days. We want to observe others but we cannot observe ourselves. It is not our shortcoming. It is the nature of things. Nothing can ever observe itself. A knife cannot cut itself. A fire cannot burn itself. An eye cannot see itself. An observe cannot observe itself.

Being mindful would mean than one is mindful of oneself. But that idea looks paradoxical! It would be contrary to the nature of things! How could one be mindful of oneself when one is oneself and it cannot be done! But we do know that it is possible! Though tough initially but possible eventually through practice and focus. If we can view ourselves and our actions from a perspective of a third person, we can view our own actions, and can be mindful. It is possible because we have a mind which has been opened up to receive and feel awareness.

Any such person who can catch oneself in action, one is called mindful. The beauty of a mindful action is that the moment an event is ‘seen’, the event tends to lose energy. When one can notice one’s anger, the power of anger starts getting diminished. When once finds oneself being jealous of another, the jealousy starts loosening its grips! The more one is able to be mindful of one’s weaknesses, the more power one continues to get over one’s own unmindful, unaware being. Cheers!