Benefits From Mindfulness Practices


 

Mindfulness practice is becoming increasingly popular as a therapeutic application in the care of clients with a wide range of psychological, emotional and physical health problems.


Science informs us that all phenomenon in nature are transient, or in continuous 'flow'. Pleasant and unpleasant experiences come into existence and pass away naturally. This includes our emotional states, behaviours and moods.

When we're stressed or anxious we tend to move into automatic and reactive behaviours.  We tend to 'cling' to negative emotions and thoughts turning them over in our minds which causes additional and unecessary suffering.

In short, you could say that mindfulness practices help us to 'respond' rather than 'react' to our negative states of mind, difficult people or situations. They offer us a middle way opportunity where alternative, more skillful choices can come into being and be put into action. Everyday mindfulness can prevent the spiraling into low mood, reduce stress, bring welcome relief from cycles of depression, release from crippling anxiety and more...


Useful Mindfulness Practices

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Cultivating Kindly Or Positive Emotion - towards ourselves or others (even our enemies) can help prevent clinging to negative emotions like fear, doubt, anger or revenge.


Focusing In On Our Breath - is grounding/calming for the mind. When we're grounded we make better decisions. We gain clarity, perspective and a feeling of manageability.


Paying Attention To Bodily sensations - helps us to identify our feelings and emotions early on. With this awareness we can actively choose how next to act.


Practicing Acceptance - releases us from the tendency to criticise or want situations or people to be different than they are. Acceptance does not mean becoming a doormat or tolerating abuse. Our values, dignity and integrity are in fact more likely to be maintained.


Developing Gratitude - we create a mental or written list of what we're grateful for. This might include friends, family or material things.  This produces a warm, expansive and positive state of mind.  Turning our minds attention in this way can be a helpful antidote to the suffering associated with the demands of modern life, to-do-lists and technology - bringing us back into the present moment.