What is Mindfulness?

So, Why Mindfulness?

Chances are, you've probably heard of mindfulness already. Mindfulness and meditation are simple wellness practices dating back thousands of years. Recently, these techniques have started to be embraced by the modern western world as science continues to back the impressive health benefits of these simple mental practices.

Mindfulness practices have been shown to:

Lower stress levels
Improve focus and creativity
Increase self-awareness
Boost emotional resilience
Improve self-regulation skills
Boost happiness levels
Improve relationships

Mindfulness is a very rewarding and beneficial practice for both our mental and physical health. It is fairly simple to do, but it does take time and daily effort. Our Mindfulness Forest Tour has been designed to offer you insight into the concepts and techniques of mindfulness so you can then continue the practices at home.

But, what exactly is it?

Mindfulness is mind training. It involves intentional focus on the present moment without judgement, which might sound simple enough but it does take practice!

Mindfulness has transitioned from ancient eastern tradition to become integrated into and celebrated by mainstream western audiences thanks to the extensive scientific research supporting the wide-range of benefits of the practice. Mindfulness is now employed in positive psychology and features regularly in psychotherapy articles and press. There is no doubt that Mindfulness has the potential to change lives, the question is, are you willing to put in the effort to give it a go?

Mindfulness can help us cope better with the daily trials of life, as well as helping us through the more difficult times. Mindfulness has been shown to improve empathy and compassion, as well as improving focus, memory and creativity. Mindfulness also helps us tune in to greater joy and appreciation for the smaller and simple things in life. Ongoing practice of mindfulness and meditation can also be a very effective tool for managing chronic stress and even pain. As we come to learn new ways to understand and relate to our thoughts, feelings and sensations we can begin to cultivate greater harmony in our own internal lives, both mentally and physically.

and what about Forest Bathing?
By practicing mindfulness in the forest we are also giving our bodies and immune systems a boost thanks to the healing effects of trees and nature. Research has shown that spending time in nature can significantly decrease stress and improve our sleep, energy levels, immune function, heart and mental health. Returning to nature is a deeply calming and restorative activity, and we will guide you to make the most of your forest-bathing time.

Mindfulness class in the forest Daylesford

Ways to Practice

Mindful Activities
Mindfulness can be practiced throughout the day by simply bringing intention and attention to whatever you are doing. The intention is to try and observe without judgement, the attention is your focused awareness on the experience of the present moment.

So, for example, you may try mindfully walking by focusing your attention on the experience of every step, noticing how your body feels, feeling the weight and movement of your legs, observing the sensations on the bottom of your feet as they meet the ground, whilst also staying openly aware (without judgement) of the immediate environment and weather around you. When your mind starts chattering, you notice and accept this then gently return your focus to the present. Basically, you are letting go of thoughts and judgments to come mindfully into the present so that you can enjoy the experience more fully.

We explore a variety of mindful activities on our tour and have included more in the take-home booklet.

Mindfulness & Meditation
Meditation is one of the best tools to use to improve your overall mindfulness. Meditation also has many other health benefits thanks to the way it soothes the body and mind. There are many types of meditation and we suggest exploring a few techniques until you find the one right for you. When starting out, you may find guided meditations helpful to keep you on track and help you develop your practice, however if you are looking to deepen your practice you may wish to turn off the guidance and do the meditation by yourself in silence.

Download the free mobile phone app Insight Timer for 1000's of free guided meditations and a great timer function for customising your own practice.
See our suggested links for further resources on starting meditation and the benefits of practice.
Come along and join our tour for a fun and relaxed introduction to guided meditation.

Mindful emotions dealing with anger and stress

Mindful Emotions
Mindfulness improves our emotional resilience, but how? When we practice mindfulness we are stepping out of our thinking minds into a state of non-judgmental awareness. Once we establish our capability to do this, the technique (of non-judgement) then becomes very useful for understanding and coping with emotions. We learn to observe our emotions from a wider perspective. We learn how we can 'turn towards' difficult feelings, really focusing on how they feel instead of getting lost in the stories behind them. Under such focused observation and acceptance, we can gain some control over strong emotions. This capacity gives us the opportunity to experience less suffering and act with greater grace and wisdom.

This is something that comes with practice and takes a reasonable amount of time and effort to integrate into your life. Simply understanding the concept is not enough, you must practice regularly to train your mindset to be able to use this tool. But the training is not hard, 10-15 minutes of meditation a day in addition to short stints of intentional mindfulness throughout the day may be enough to significantly improve your wellbeing.

Stay tuned for our Mindful Emotional Intelligence workshop coming soon!

FAQ

What's the difference between meditation and mindfulness?
Meditation is a dedicated practice usually done seated (however may be done in other postures as well as walking) and centers around focusing the attention. Some of the most common meditations focus on things such as the breath, the body, a mantra, guided visualisation or a conceptual idea like loving kindness. Meditation can be done with or without guidance.
Mindfulness is something that is strengthened through meditation, it is a way of thinking that we can integrate into our daily lives and activities. Mindfulness is also a practice that we can tap into at anytime throughout the day without having to sit down and make the time to do it. Mindfulness is a way of being; of thinking, feeling and living with conscious awareness and intention. A mindful life offers us greater joy and less pain.

Would mindfulness be useful for me?
Mindfulness has shown incredible results in improving people's wellbeing across a huge variety of settings including primary schools, universities, workplaces, prisons, refugee populations, cancer patients, surgery patients, the police force and medical personnel to name a few. As you can see from that list, mindfulness can be helpful to a wide range of people from all different backgrounds and occupations.
A note of caution however, anyone with severe depression, anxiety, PTSD or other psychological disorders should consult their GP or psychologist before attempting meditation. During mindfulness we turn our focus inwards and this can be uncomfortable or triggering for some people. If you are unsure of your suitability please get in touch - we are happy to chat more.

Is this a spiritual or religious thing?
There is no doctrine or religious aspect to our presentation of mindfulness. Mindfulness originated from Buddhism but has now become integrated into a secular, western framework. Personally, we think mindfulness can be quite a grounded philosophical practice as it gives us the opportunity to look inside and discover ourselves, to gain understanding and wisdom from the essence of our own complex and unique human experience. Many people also see mindfulness simply as a training exercise or tool for a healthy mind and life.