What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is basically bringing your attention to the present moment with openness and clarity. It’s the opposite of being distracted or lost in thought.
It is a mental state of consistent and flexible attention to the present moment with a non-judgmental attitude.
Therefore, as well as being a type of meditation, mindfulness can also be about working with a certain attention and attitude in the midst of everyday life.
Research has shown mindfulness meditation to have many practical benefits for all people, including:
- stress reduction
- increased ability to focus and concentrate
- greater clarity of thinking
- increased learning capacity and memory
- greater sense of well-being
Practicing mindfulness retrains habits of mind. And not only that: The brain has ‘plasticity’ meaning that the connections in the brain can be strengthened, weakened, or new ones can even be created. This is called neuroplasticity. The brain can grow and change throughout life.
Meditative training, of which mindfulness is one kind, helps calm and focus the mind and body, thereby enabling you to become a channel for the forces of inspiration. It can remove the obstacles that get in the way of creative energies. It can open your mind to new possibilities which you can then integrate into your daily life.
I incorporate mindfulness techniques in every area of coaching. It is not a requirement, however, just a suggestion.