This month I have interviewed a few fabulous experts in various fields on what mindfulness means to them and how they utilize mindfulness with their clientele. This week I am concluding the 'Mindfulness &' series with my thoughts on the subject.
Mindfulness has become a popular catchphrase in today's society. We might be told to "be mindful" of what others might want or need or to "stay mindful" of ourselves and our needs. Mindfulness can be applied to an array of fields: parenting, health, eating, love, self, choices, behaviors, thinking, and the list can go on and on.
The issue with mindfulness becoming this sort of buzzword is that it can start to lose its meaning and value. Rather than just being a trend or fad, I find that the essence of mindfulness is really a lifestyle. Mindfulness is the conscious choice to be in the moment, the only real unit of time that we own, and to be present in what that moment has to offer.
It is not about positive thinking or being in a perfect state of balance. It is not about holding yourself to an impossibly high standard. It is just about being. Being in whatever moments are unfolding, whether they are pleasant moments or unpleasant moments. Mindfulness is not shying away from discomfort. It is acknowledging discomfort and understanding that these feelings and thoughts that we have do not have to dictate how we behave.
It is powerful and it is why I passionately encourage my clients, my readers, my friends, and my family to be engaged in the present moment. It is all we have.
With that, I will recap my favorite take aways of the 'Mindfulness &' series this month. A special thanks to the experts that I interviewed, Nancy Popkin from Love More Eat Less, Sarah Anassori from Being, and Rebecca Wong from Connectfulness.
I loved Nancy's perspective on healthy eating and developing a healthy lifestyle that goes beyond food. Creating healthy patterns is about being connected to the choices that we make and being mindful of the challenges that get in the way of our desires and goals. You can read the full interview on Mindfulness & Health here.
Sarah shed so much light on the toll that work can take on us mentally and how being mindful at work is also about connecting to your body and yourself as a whole, not just mentally. I enjoyed hearing her recommendations on how we can find balance between our work selves and our non-work selves by using mindfulness practices. You can read the full interview on Mindfulness & Work here.
I enjoyed Rebecca's perspective on being aware and present in the moments of our relationships and using that openness to create a safe space for play. Being able to let loose and drop our guard feels so incredible in a relationship and can be the catalyst for further deep connection. You can read the full interview on Mindfulness & Love here.
Remember that mindfulness can be used in many areas of your life and that you can choose to be engaged in the moment at any time. I look forward to sharing my book review next week on basic principles of mindfulness and ways to incorporate mindfulness meditation into your life.