What is Mindfulness?

"Knowing what is happening while it is happening without preference or judgment"

Rob Nairn (Co-Founder of the UK based Mindfulness Association)

Research informs us that taking time out is a natural process for our brains. We can practice mindfulness to build on this and create new neural pathways in the brain which take our thoughts in a more positive direction and can bring many other benefits:

Reduce symptoms of stress
Increase ability to focus
Boost immune system
Learn to respond instead of react
Lower blood pressure
Improve decision making
Improve relations at home and work
Increase awareness of self and surroundings
Improve cognitive function

A Harvard study found our minds are wandering an average of 47% of the time and that "A wandering mind is an unhappy mind."

We get distracted with habits and routines and have a natural negative bias to our thinking, causing problems in our thinking and behaviour. With mindfulness, we learn to return to ourselves with a sense of safety and ease in the present moment. This attitude of curiosity allows us to create new and healthier ways of responding to challenges.

Benefits of Mindfulness PDF

Free audio practice - 3 minute Breathing space

Animation 'What is mindfulness?'

7 minute short story - The Hungry seagull

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
"Knowing what is happening while it is happening without preference or judgment"- Rob Nairn (Co-Founder of the UK based Mindfulness Association)
"Paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgementally.” –Jon Kabat Zinn (Professor of Medicine at the USA based Stress Reduction Clinic)
Mindfulness is not a fix or a form of therapy, it is a skill that is grown over time. It is learning to cultivate kindness, compassion and acceptance towards ourselves and others.
It focuses on thoughts, emotions and sensations and how they interact with each other. All this is done as if we had a beginners mind, curious and open.
HOW DOES MINDFULNESS WORK?
Mindfulness works it a few ways:
Physically, formal mindfulness practice causes the relaxation response, this means your breathing slows, your blood pressure drops, you relax and feel calmer.
Using the science of the brain we can see how it reduces the reactivity of the Amygdala, the fight or flight part of your brain and become less reactive and less stressed out about things.
Psychologically, mindfulness allows you to start to feel into and experience a very natural and real sense of being OK with whatever is around at the moment.
HOW DO YOU LEARN MINDFULNESS?
Mindfulness is learned experimentally, which means trying it out for yourself. The practice involves formal sitting, lying or moving and just noticing reactions any distractions for a period of time (every day if possible). This retrains the mind to be more focused and aware by consciously focusing attention on a particular support, such as the breath, body or sounds, or by bringing an open and receptive attention to the coming and going of thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations.
When practicing mindfulness, the attention will naturally be pulled away. This will happen again and again. At some point, we notice or wake up to the fact that our attention has moved into the past or future. This is the moment when we cross over from automatic pilot to mindful awareness. Only then can we bring our attention back to our intended object of focus. This act of returning our attention, over and over again, is the central practice, the thing that builds our mindfulness.
CAN YOU LEARN MINDFULNESS WITHOUT ANY TRAINING?
Many people turn to APPS and books to learn any skill, however just like with any skill, we require a dedicated time to formally do the practice or the exercise. Regular practice to train the mind is key.
It is far more beneficial when you start with a teacher/facilitator/guide. Learning the techniques and then moving on to practice on your own.
IS it RELIGIOUS?
Both mindfulness and meditation have been a core part of most Buddhist traditions for over 2,500 years. Like many modern forms of mindfulness and meditation such as Mindful Based Living Course (MBLC) and other offerings from Focus Day Training, all are presented in a 100% secular way.
The benefits of mindfulness do not rely on any belief system but lie in the practical aspect of simply sitting or moving in the present moment.
WHAT DOES MINDFULNESS FEEL LIKE?
It is not about trying to relax or finding a high. Mindfulness isn’t one particular state or experience, but rather just being with the feeling of the experience you are having right now and noticing what is happening – pleasant or unpleasant.
Mindfulness is not designed to change our experiences as much as changing our relationship to our experience so it is not so difficult. The suffering we feel around a particular situation can be reduced allowing us to get closer to the cause and deal with it in an open and curious way.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MINDFULNESS AND MEDITATION?
They are very similar, mindfulness focuses on the moment to moment experience, other type of meditation may focus on visualising, chanting, altered realities. However, all of the delivery of any training/teaching follows the guidelines of the UK Listing of Mindfulness Teachers as well as respecting good practice set by the Mindfulness Association, ensuring a quality, safe and respectful approach to this life changing subject.