Mindfulness Meditation

by Annette
(UK)

Mindfulness meditation is my favorite meditation. It's very powerful. It brings your focus to here and now.

You become more aware of situations as they unfold. You watch things happen rather try to change them. The key is the in the name – ‘mindful’ meditation. Mindful really means aware. So you become aware of your body. Your breathing. Your mind. You don't judge anything you find. And you don't try to alter it.

So What Are the Benefits of Mindful Meditation?

For me mindfulness came quite naturally with practice. I'm now more aware of life as it occurs. Life seems somehow richer. More full.

I've become more focused. My life feels somehow more vivid. And I'm less anxious (used to be a big problem). More at peace with myself.

Bring Mindful Meditation into Your Day

Imagine you are standing in an orchard. You're not thinking of the past or future. Your mind is quiet and still.

If you raised your hand to pick an apple, your attention would be on the movement of your arm and the sensation of the apple as you pluck it. So although you are living that moment, you are able to absorb all of the details and sensation experienced at the same time. This for me is the essence of mindful meditation.

Similarly, as you bite into the apple, you experience the crunchiness and the sensations of juice as you do so. For many people, the apple could simply be eaten and so much sensation wasted. Because your mind has raced onto other things.

But your focus is not simply limited to one sensation but also all that is around you. In the orchard as you are experiencing the pleasure of eating the apple, you might also become aware of the sound of bird song from a nearby tree and the sensation of warmth from the sun on your skin.

Mindful meditation can be meditation through movement or activity or by simply sitting still and experiencing all that is around you. If you incorporate this powerful meditation in every aspect of your life, it will add a vital richness to day to day living.