Be more mindful, live mindfully. These are just a couple of the catchphrases out there about mindfulness. Somewhere around the early 21st century, the topic of mindfulness took the modern world by storm.
It infiltrated the corporate world, snuck into schools and became the buzz word to being “woke”. But what is mindfulness really? And how and why should you practice it so that you go beyond the trend and actually experience its full benefits as a way of life?
Mindfulness is a form of meditation that focuses on:
- Being fully present
- Being completely aware of your thoughts, emotions, senses and surroundings
- Watching/observing every moment without reaction, interpretation or judgement
How often do you feel you are reacting to situations? And, perhaps, even reacting in ways that are not consistent with how you want to behave. All of us have done this and it’s due to the overwhelming amount of stress we are all under. Given the stressors of the modern world, your nervous system is in fight or flight mode more than you realize, which causes you to react more quickly and out of character in trying situations. This only leads to more stress and anxiety, increasing the intensity of the fight or flight mode and the cycle continues.
Now imagine just being able to watch and observe a situation, without judging yourself or others. What do you think would come of that? Most likely true listening to and connection with one another by understanding each other’s point of view. So, instead of reacting to the situation you are responding with clarity, focus and likely a greater perspective.
This is what living mindfully is; it is a way of being and not just an action we chose to take. Learning how to live mindfully comes through practice, changing the neuro-pathways in your brain so you slow down, calm your nervous system and gain perspective when experiencing all of life’s moments. This article does a great job of explaining the effects of mindfulness on the brain.
Living mindfully is at the heart of all of our certified mindfulness coach led programs and practices at Nourished Union because it is through the practice that the change in the neuro-pathways of the brain occur. Our mindfulness coaches work with our clients to help them clear the clutter and truly land in the moments of their lives to experience them fully. While mindfulness is innate within all of us, our modern world has moved us so far away from it that we must relearn and cultivate it, and that’s what our mindfulness life coaches are here to help you do. And as if the quality of life benefits of living mindfully weren’t enough, another positive side-effect of mindfulness is that it causes the pituitary gland to secrete endorphins, leaving you feeling good all over – emotionally and physically.
Research suggests that it’s best to start each day with a mindfulness practice to help jump start your thought patterns into a positive space before the craziness of life takes over. The benefits of a morning mindfulness practice are:
- Setting a tone of calm and ease for the day ahead
- Energizing yourself naturally throughout the day (all those endorphins!)
- Building more focus and mental clarity (say goodbye to brain fog!)
- A greater sense of well-being because you have the tools to deal with life’s many obstacles
To start or deepen your mindfulness practice, join our certified mindfulness coaches and sign-up for one of our Online Wellness Programs.