What is Mindfulness?

What is mindfulness?

Like all things in life, mindfulness is open to interpretation. The most common definition states that it is present moment awareness. However, even this description doesn't give us much insight into what it really means. So many observations, sensations, experiences happen moment to moment. This is why I like to look at mindfulness as a one pointed awareness. Being fully present, having one focal point and intention. The decision then is for you to decide whether you want to zoom in on the details or look at bigger picture. Same focal point, different lens. Do u want to be in the woods, amongst the trees or view the forest from a distance? The adventurer experiencing the sensations, feelings, emotions, thoughts as they arise in the moment or the observer of them. No right viewpoint, no wrong perspective, just different intentions. Mindfulness is being present with whatever arises (either in them or observing them) while resisting the urge to manipulate, change, resolve, or go down the rabbit hole to find their origin. It’s this moment to moment awareness AND acceptance of what is. That being said, life is blissful, happy, worth living when we are mindfully present but that's also not a state we can or should be in all the time. As I said last week, it's important to allow the archer (yourself) to take the time to aim the arrow, at times pull it back and other times let it launch. This is the free will we have, to decide where we want the direction of the arrow that is our lives to go. Ironically, when don’t take the time to reflect, heal, decide, grow and evolve, present moment living becomes much harder. The sensations, thoughts, feelings that are constantly pulling us out of the present will be there until we pause and acknowledge them. Becoming aware of the emotion (e-motion, the energy in motion) sets the energy into motion instead of into hiding. From Massage Magazine, "Common forms of energy include solid mass or as non-solid matter, such as heat, light, electrical, sound, gravitational, potential (stored energy) and kinetic (energy of motion). ... This means that everything, including humans, is simply energy stored in mass particle form." Basically a nerdy way of saying we are energetic beings. And, as we know, the law of thermodynamics states "energy cannot be created or destroyed." Emotions are the result of life experiences between two energetic beings. Yes, sparks fly when energy collides. One energetic being, connecting with another, changing both forms of energy...this is the basis of all human e-motion. The struggle occurs when we don't accept and allow ourselves to feel certain emotions. We don't allow ourselves to emote. The energy doesn't just disappear. It's stored in our vehicles, our bodies. And will be there until we look at it, setting it free. It's really easy to look at lighter emotions, right? That's why they don't stay in us for long. We feel comfortable sitting with them, which sets the energy into motion to change form. We share this energy in the form of love; warm embraces, passionate kisses, energetic explosions. The heavier ones are not so comfortable. These are the ones people tend to avoid, because there's a fear that the heaviness of these darker feelings will weigh us down and cause us to become stuck. We think that our not looking at them will magically make them go away, which as we know from earlier, this energetic result of a life experience does not go just away. It's stored in our bodies and will stay there until we allow the emotion to do what it's meant to do... move. We must set this energy into motion. Yogi's who've been in my classes before, what am I about to say? That's right... you gotta feel it to heal it. Do you remember Newton's first law of motion? "An object at rest remains at rest, and an object in motion remains in motion at constant speed and in a straight line unless acted on by an unbalanced force." Y'all have also heard me say this many times, to find our balance, we must first be thrown off balance. This is the balancing act needed to ride the bike through the terrain of life. Life away from the present to enjoy the present. A constant adventure into the unknown paired with a warm welcome when we return home. One without the other makes both a lot harder. We cannot sit in a constant state of healing or growth without becoming depleted. We cannot sit in a state of bliss and not see the the direction we want our lives to unfold or we will be swept away by life’s current. Balance. If lately you’ve being doing a lot of deep work, reflection, healing, aiming, then let’s be present. Set your intention, . Are you going to give yourself the rest of the day? Maybe the rest of the week? Too much, alright, just an hour, to be fully present. This does not have to mean being still. It means allowing yourself to be ok with what’s happening even when it doesn’t feel ok. Mad… that’s ok. Sad… that too. Happy… alright. Excited… enjoy. Just be with it. Sit with it. See what happens. This constant ebb & flow, continuous falling off balance only to rediscover what balance means to us moment by moment, breath by breath, day by day is why I like to embrace different well-being modalities. Some days some work well with the intention I set, some days others do and some days nothing at all does. Let’s get you on the mat and discover them. Let’s put more tools in your tool box, more calming strategies in your arsenal, more punches in your corner. That’s what we will be doing at the Well-Being Weekend ReTreat. And it’s what I offer in our Virtual Classes and in our 1 on 1 Wellness Services. Let me help you with the deep work, so you are able to enjoy life as it happens and just be present. Just breathe. Just be. Stillness, Awareness, Wellness, Nicole Starr Bacon