Introducing Mindfulness #1

What is Mindfulness?
In the last few years mindfulness has become a joker that matches almost anything. Just check Amazon to find books that apply mindfulness to golf, canine training, sexuality or gardening. There is even a Mindfulness for dummies, which by the way, has sold quite well. But what do we talk about when we talk about mindfulness?.

A literal translation would be "mental fullness" but this does not say much. The most common translation is "mindfulness", which although somewhat more precise, is limited because attention is one of the qualities of mindfulness but there is still much more fabric to cut. Diana Winston, director of UCLA's Mindful Awarness Research Center says "is to pay attention to our experiences in the present moment with openness and curiosity, along with a willingness to be with what is." The Mexican Institute of Mindfulness puts it this way: "It is the capacity to be in the present moment in a balanced way, with an attitude of acceptance and openness."

Let's practice!
Imagine leaving home late to get to a meeting and while you complain about traffic you are thinking about things to do or those that happened to you a few hours, weeks or years ago. When you arrive at your meeting you enter the room without paying attention to what crossed you on the way. Sitting down notes that your back hurts but you ignore it immediately. You also do not pay attention to the bad mood you drag. You just sit down and start reacting to whatever they throw at the table. After an hour you come out with a stress that twists your stomach but you do not stop. You continue and do not stop until you collapse in bed near midnight. Maybe you sleep or maybe insomnia assaults you. And it all starts again the next day.

Mindfulness will not make city traffic fade, the bitter boss will disappear or your workload will disappear. What you are offered is the possibility to see things more clearly and to know how your mind works. This will allow you to better manage your emotions and feel more relaxation. How? Helping you to reflect, understand and choose the best ways to relate to yourself and the world.

Or by returning to the example, while trapped in traffic, a mindfulness practitioner feels his body and watches the torrent of thoughts in his mind. Then, instead of being dragged by the current, it focuses on your breathing, your bodily sensations and what is happening around you. He also notices the train of thoughts that moves and tries to disengage. Before entering the meeting room you are already aware of back pain, and possibly breathe a moment to reduce discomfort and recognize your mood; without judging him, simply accepting that he feels this way.

A Matter of Atitude
With this attitude, perhaps, the person who practices mindfulness can better regulate the emotions when the inconveniences in the conversation jump. Eventually, upon returning to his job, he notices in the gasping breath and the tightness in the stomach that the stress is reaching a peak, then pauses to focus attention on the present and lower the pace. Then he goes on, but instead of doing it like a runaway horse, he does it from a space of greater amplitude and relaxation.

Sounds impossible? Each day new scientific studies show the effectiveness of mindfulness to raise levels of well-being. And how is it practiced? With some exercises and simple trainings that I will talk about in the next installment.