Although mindfulness is increasingly recognised as a great tool for health and wellbeing, there are still some people who don’t completely understand what it is or how it works. Some of your clients probably have lots of questions about the subject and need more information before they try The Mindful Touch. We thought it might be helpful to explain here today what mindfulness is NOT so you can help to clear up any misconceptions they may have.
Mindfulness is NOT letting your mind go blank.
Emptying your mind of any thoughts seems like an impossible task to most people and in fact it is: a thought pops into our minds every 7 seconds. Fortunately, mindfulness does not require this type of effort, instead it leads you to enjoy the present moment, sensing every detail. Your mind does grow calmer, but this is because you are concentrating on everything you see, feel and hear.
Mindfulness does NOT mean you have to follow a particular religion.
The success of this practice in the West is mainly thanks to Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He combined some Buddhist meditation techniques with other exercises to develop what we now call mindfulness. This is the only connection to a religion that can be found in this technique.
Mindfulness does NOT take up too much of your time.
If anyone thinks that you need 2 hours each day to reap the benefits of mindfulness, they are mistaken. Just 10-15 minutes of daily practice will start to make a neuronal imprint on your brain and you will achieve a greater awareness of your thoughts so that you won’t let yourself be governed by them. With this dedication, you can turn your biological clock back by up to 7 years, since mindfulness gives you enormous energy and a much greater capacity for concentration.
Mindfulness is NOT slipping into a trance or an extra-sensory experience.
This is a very down-to-earth technique, vouched for by numerous scientific studies. It is based on how our brain works and the beneficial neurochemicals it releases under certain circumstances. Sceptics can consult innumerable well-researched sources (for example, studies published by Harvard University) that explain the benefits of mindfulness.
Mindfulness does NOT mean you have to sit still or in the lotus position.
You might not believe this but you can practise mindfulness on the go. There are numerous exercises which help you to focus on the present as you move around. Even so, if you prefer to be still, you don’t have to sit with your legs crossed, a position which can be complicated for some people. You will be more comfortable sitting up straight in a chair and it is equally effective.
Mindfulness is NOT a means to run away from reality and routines.
Quite the contrary: mindfulness anchors us in the present so that we can appreciate it in all its glory. Because everything that we need to be happy is within our reach. There is no need to flee from reality to live better. If we know how to see and appreciate the moment, the change we undergo will be amazing.
