The word “mindfulness” has been getting a lot of attention lately. Perhaps you’ve seen books and newspaper articles promoting mindfulness, but you may not know exactly what they’re talking about. Does being mindful entail going through your daily life with a blank mind, or does it entail paying close attention to your moment-to-moment experience? In this blog, we’ll explain the basics of mindfulness. If you’re interested in learning more about mindfulness, regular yoga practice is a great place to begin! Contact Wilmington Yoga Center today to learn more!
The Basics
How often have you gone through your daily routine of working, going to school, or running errands, only to realize that you can’t recall much of what you did? Perhaps you spent most of your day thinking about the future, or maybe you spent your day reminiscing about an event in the past. Wherever you may have spent your day, it wasn’t in the present moment. In its most basic sense, mindfulness is about attending to what is happening here and now, rather than focusing on the past or the future. As you read this sentence, see if you can notice the feeling of your body in your chair, the touch of your clothes against your skin, and the cool air that comes into your nose with each breath you take – you probably weren’t aware of these sensations before being prompted to notice them. To put it simply: mindfulness is the art of attending to all of the sensations and experiences held in the present moment.
How to Begin
Most of us probably associate mindfulness with yogis and spiritual gurus in the Far East, but the truth is that anyone can practice mindfulness at any time. The breath is often the easiest place to begin mindfulness training, as it is always available to serve as an anchor for your attention. To start, simply sit in a comfortable position and try to focus on your breathing. Your mind will naturally drift to thoughts about the future and the past, and this is completely normal. Simply redirect your attention to the present moment as often as you need to. A member of our Wilmington Yoga faculty, Taylor Lawrence, explains their approach to mindfulness and meditation in this post.
Yoga and Mindfulness
If you’re looking for a comprehensive approach to mindfulness training, yoga courses are an ideal place to begin. When you regularly participate in yoga training, you are constantly reminded to remain focused on your posture and the sensations of your breath in the present moment. If you find it difficult to remain focused on your breathing on your own, the presence and guidance of a certified yoga instructor can help you recenter your attention. Moreover, they can answer any questions you have about your posture, and they can also provide you with tips to improve your meditation sessions.
Wilmington Yoga Center offers yoga courses and yoga teacher training programs in North Carolina. Contact a member of our staff today to learn more!
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