Mindfulness
It is simply a practical way to notice our thoughts, feelings and emotions. The actual skills are simple to learn, but as it is so different to how our minds usually work it does take practice.
We can experience all sorts of pain and suffering, on both an individual level and as a collective and present day it is becoming the norm to feel miserable, unfulfilled and suffer, there seems to be an influx of all what’s negative out there and the media feed off the way our minds are fear based. But strangely never before has there been so much help available out there, yet more and more people are suffering from anxiety, depression and many other mental health problems.
Do you find yourself as many others do looking to external factors in a bid to find some happiness, such as dieting, a new job, a new partner, new haircut, plastic surgery, stimulants etc. these can offer some short term gain but can also bring additional suffering and not long term fulfilment or inner peace and calm.
We suffer because we pay attention to our thoughts. We need the mind to function but there comes a time when our thoughts can take over our lives. We believe what they are saying and more often than not can get lost in them, do you find yourself with a busy mind that remunerates the same problem over and over again only to find you are feeling more and more stressed, upset, angry or worse can’t see a solution or way out of the cycle?
Most of us live in some form of discomfort, ranging from a mild concern to extreme suffering. Fortunately, most of us live at the mild end of the spectrum however there are those who hide their inner struggles and feelings of anxiety, restlessness, guilt, sadness without seeking help.
How we relate to others can also be a source of pain. Relationships that do not have any conflict are seen as rare. The same can be said of our workplace, our families, our friendships etc. Within all these settings, there is one common thread – we listen to our thoughts. Not only do we listen to them, we believe them and act upon them. We give our attention to the stories of the painful past or to the frightening future, even though neither are our reality – they are just thoughts in our head.
The fear we experience is totally within our mind, as is the relief from this suffering. Mindfulness can offer a relief from this pain, let me take you through strategies and processes that can help you do this and stop the suffering and start living day by day.