What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness teaches us to direct our attention to living in the present moment. This “being with” ourselves prevents us from letting our heads run into the future or dwelling on things from the past. It teaches us to have patience and compassion for ourselves and for others. Although we are often unaware of our thinking, it has a profound effect on how we live our lives, as well on our mental and emotional health.
Mindfulness is not positive thinking.
Mindfulness is not about having only good feelings. It is about ‘feeling’ your feelings and not suppressing them by food, alcohol, drugs, work or other means of escapism. We don’t like to feel pain. We try and do anything to avoid it but by fighting it, this only leads us to more suffering. “What we resist persists.” Mindfulness allows you to be aware of negative thought patterns before they cause you to fall into a downward spiral. You come to the understanding that thoughts are transient. It is your choice whether you act on them or not. With mindfulness we learn to turn towards the difficulties, and pain in our lives with an attitude of acceptance and kindness. This is a gentle, patient process and it happens gradually as we build emotional strength and resilience.
Scientific studies have shown that mindfulness not only prevents depression, but that it also positively affects the brain patterns underlying stress, depression and irritability so that when they, appear they dissolve away again more easily. Other studies have shown that regular mediators are healthier. Mindfulness enhances creativity and improves the memory.
The benefits of Mindfulness
- Develops greater self awareness
- Increases ability to manage stress
- Physical and psychological health,
- Reduces anxiety and depression,
- Reduces tension, anger and fatigue,
- Enhances relationships,
- Increases vitality
- Promotes better sleep
- Increases immunity
If you would like to try out the benefits of Mindfulness for yourself, there are a few centres around Dublin which run classes.
The Mindfulness Centre
33 Lower Pembroke Street
Dublin 2
Email: info@mindfulness.ie
Oscailt Integrative Health Centre,
8 Pembroke Road,
Dublin 4
Tel: 01 660 3872
Email: info@oscailt.com
The Wisdom Centre
25 Cork St., Dublin 8
Tel: +353 (0) 1 473 8300
Email: wisdomcentre@sophia.ie
