Do you ‘practice’ Mindfulness?

Mind-full-or-mindful
                       Mind-full-or-mindful

‘Mindfulness’ has been the ‘buzz’ word for a few years now.  I first got acquainted with it during my pregnancy when a relative of mine who is qualified in ‘Mindful birthing’ coached me.

Now this term is everywhere, in every field, in every aspect of life.  Being ‘Mindful’.

It’s a great, non-religious approach to one getting to know one self.  In this hectic, fast-paced world we live in where we are engaged in so many roles and wearing so many hats, it’s so important to just STOP and OBSERVE our own thoughts and emotions.  One might call this meditation where-in we observe our breathing pattern and our thoughts.  But is it?  Perhaps a form of….?

Okay so I am no yogi and I can not preach on meditation being that I can not even find 10 minutes in the day to sit in silence! My brain just won’t allow it! BUT, now that I am being ‘mindful’, I am doing this 24 hours a day in every activity I engage in, in every conversation I have (be-it after the conversation where I’ve already put my foot in my mouth) or when I’m with the boys (yup… sometimes my ‘full mind’ only engages after I’ve said or done something silly and wished I hadn’t).  I am not being too hard on myself and will actually give myself credit to say that I am putting my all in to being ‘aware’ of myself although some times AFTER an event.

Mindfulness to me is:

Being aware of my thought patterns when I am on my own; when I am in conversation with someone; being aware of my emotions during or after an event that either made me really happy or sad.  Taking the time to think about why I reacted a particular way or why I had a particular thought.  Then thinking what would have happened had I thought or reacted differently. All this without ‘judging’ myself or being ‘critical’.  Just plain observations, then thinking how could I make it different should a situation or person require me to have a different approach.

Being aware of how I spend my time.  Being aware of whose company I thrive in and whose company I get negative emotions in.  Being aware of how I interact or react to my children (boy do I need loads of work on this one!) and while trying to be aware of myself, also being aware – MINDFUL – to other people (family, friends, colleagues, helpers, teachers, contractors, etc. etc. etc…) around me and how we affect each other.  How I react to various successes or failures of my own.

I may have the concept completely wrong but mindfulness to me is getting to know oneself, getting to really know people around me and attempting to make those teeny weeny steps to reaching a ‘better’ me – once again I emphasize – without harsh judgements on myself… but just having fun observing and adapting where necessary.

What is ‘mindfulness’ to you?