You may have heard of this term being thrown out more and more lately but have never been too sure what it is. It has definitely become more mainstream lately with schools integrating it into the school day or doctors referring patients to clinics specializing in mindfulness techniques to work with chronic illnesses when “traditional” physical medicine treatments have been exhausted. Many people can be initially reluctant to attempt a treatment like mindfulness due to the practice’s eastern/Buddhist roots. Another reason may be that people might find the idea of meditation as too hippie or new age. However, research continues to back up the physical and mental benefits of mindfulness. Looking at things like brain scans, heart rate, blood pressure, and blood show tangible results when practicing mindfulness. The idea of mindfulness is pretty simple but that does not mean it is necessarily easy to practice. Mindfulness is about being fully aware of whatever is happening in the present moment, without filters or the lens of judgment. It can be brought to any situation. Put simply, mindfulness consists of cultivating awareness of the mind and body and living in the here and now. If you think about it the present moment is all we really have. It the only place we can truly live our life. If your trapped up in your mind and stuck in the past, the future, or constantly labeling things as good or bad, you are really missing out on what is going on in your life right now. Tired of missing out on your life? Keep reading the blog to learn more about mindfulness.
