@maninayton Mindfulness Series - Part 1 - An Introduction

You are your mind. Everything you have been, everything you are, and everything you will be, is within your mind.
@maninayton - 2017

Puppies naturally practice Mindfulness
(Image by nixxphotography at FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

Mindfulness Comes Onto The Scene.

In Europe and North America, the term Mindfulness seems to be everywhere at the moment. In recent years there have been numerous magazine and internet articles, books and CDs produced that extol the virtues of this meditation technique. However, despite this sudden awareness of Mindfulness, it is in fact, a natural state of being. Animals are naturally Mindful, Just look at how well puppies and other animals relax for example. However, amidst the hustle and bustle of modern day life, we humans seem to have forgotten how to practice and be in a state of Mindfulness.

The effectiveness of Mindfulness in helping to promote well-being in the individual has been shown to have a basis in science₍₁₎ and countless individual testimonies ascertain to it changing people's lives. Unfortunately, Mindfulness has also been high-jacked by a myriad of therapies claiming it as a miracle cure and also by those who would wish it to be imbued with mystical and supernatural powers.₍₂₎ Well, sorry, but Mindfulness isn't a cure-all or some magical, spiritual energy nor does it hold the key to solving all of our, or the world's problems. However, I hope to show in this series of posts that Mindfulness can be a powerful tool all of us can use to make our lives a more rewarding and richer experience.

Tempted To Try It?

Are you tempted to give it a go to see what all the fuss is about? Maybe you have been put off by claims that practising Mindfulness can be dangerous₍₃₎ or maybe you have heard that you have to don an orange robe and go to live in Tibet for years. Are you frightened that you will have to give up control of some essential part of your life?

Many people are wary of dipping their toes into the Mindfulness pond and trying it for themselves. I hope to be able to give a nudge to those of you who wish to take the first step on a journey of self-discovery to a better place.

It Doesn't Suit Everyone.

It is beholden on me at this point though to say that Mindfulness doesn't work for everyone. Just as a medication may not be effective in all patients so Mindfulness may not be right for every individual. It may be that they are not at the right stage in their lives to gain benefit from Mindfulness and so a different approach may be necessary for them.

Mindfulness also requires the individual to undertake a personal commitment to make the time and effort to practice regularly and often. I will show you how you can do that by incorporating Mindfulness into your daily home and work lives. As a Mindfulness tutor of mine liked to say "it's horses for courses".

The thing is that unless you try it, you won't know if it could benefit you. Will you?

Separating Fact From Fiction.

So much has been written and said about Mindfulness that trying to separate fact from fiction can be difficult. In these posts, I will show techniques that I have personally used and have found to be effective. I have also taken care to ensure that any information presented is accurate and has been gathered from a number of sources. Hopefully, I have managed to steer away from making any misleading statements or errors of facts but if any exist they are down to me entirely.

Disclaimer.

I am not - and do not in any way claim to be - a medical professional nor have I any medical training or connections to the medical or health profession. Despite what you may hear or read Mindfulness is not a cure-all or substitute for proper medical advice. Therefore, as we take this Mindfulness journey together, I strongly advise you to seek qualified, professional medical help if you have, or think you may have, a medical condition. Also, continue to take any prescribed medication you may be on unless advised otherwise by your health professional.

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Information Sources For This Post
1.http://selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2003_BrownRyan.pdf
2.http://supernaturalmagazine.com/articles/meditation-the-human-element
3.http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/3-hidden-dangers-meditation-you-should-know.html

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I hope you have enjoyed this post and would consider following me (I will reciprocate). Some of my posts are about mental health issues while others cover a wide range of subjects. For a taster of my musings please follow these links:-

I talk about my depression - Part 1 (video)

Continuing the discussion on depression - Part 2 (video)

Why do people on the autism spectrum have trouble processing time?

I buy a self-waterer because I'm fed up watering plants!

I visit the grave of Anne Bronte in Scarborough.

A #beachwednesday entry - Lindisfarne island

I introduce myself via video - scary!

Even in death, trees provide for life - a #treetuesday entry

Until next time - take care of yourselves.