Mindfulness is intentional attention to the present moment. It is being acutely aware and present in all you are doing – whether you’re making dinner, taking out the garbage, having a shower, out for a bike ride or presenting to clients + colleagues – without judgement.
Mindfulness is about cultivating greater awareness in our lives, with compassion. The more present + loving we are in all that we do – the more aware + connected we are with ourselves and each other.
Mindfulness starts on the individual level.
Meditation is a Mindfulness tool that helps to bring our attention to the present moment by tuning into our breath. Meditation is commonly referred to as “waking up” from the busy and disconnected life that many of us live.
Yoga is another powerful Mindfulness tool. It is the integration of mind + body + heart, using movement + connection with our breath, to help us create a deeper connection with ourselves + the present moment.
Journaling + self-inquiry exercises and mantra/affirmation are other great Mindfulness tools.
Mindfulness practices can help to teach us about boundaries, change, love, gratitude, our purpose and more. They can literally transform our lives if we’re open to new possibilities.
When I look back on my time in the corporate world and even further back to university, I realize now, I was detached between heart + body + mind. I was running from place to place, project to project, trying to please everyone – at the detriment to myself (especially my mental health… which referred into my physical and emotional wellbeing). I was living in a world of fear + low self-worth – feeling whatever I did was never good enough/never enough, in general.
As a result of my yoga practice (my primary mindfulness tool at the time), I was aware of tension in my body + of my unhealthy work routine (lots of sitting). Aside from this awareness, I didn’t really know why I felt the way I did. I didn’t connect the dots between emotions + experiences, or how they might be contributing to the tightness in my hips + low back or the tension in my shoulders + neck. I never sat with sensations long enough to understand them. Instead, I would focus on the next thing and keep moving forward. I had a “be perfect + be busy + do, do, do” mentality.
A wonderful thing about awareness is, once you know something, you can’t un-know it. You can avoid it, but it will eat away at you until you give in and make a conscious change.
For me, it was physical discomfort from sciatica pain + brain fog that got me to really tune into my body + heart. I finally realized that ignoring the wisdom of my body + heart created more suffering in my life. More pain. More mental fog. I was living largely in my mind, consumed by concerns I couldn’t control… drowning in my thoughts, worries + stress.
Attending a Yoga + Meditation Retreat in Bali is what shifted everything for me. It forced me to sit with my thoughts. It challenged me to feel through all my emotions, stress and fears. It asked me to release what didn’t serve me. It gave me tools to help cultivate a deeper connection with my whole self: mind + body + spirit – and it helped me to develop greater awareness in my life.
Being more mindful is a highly rewarding lifelong practice that requires courage, commitment, consistency + compassion.
Mindfulness practices are not a quick fix. They are tools to help us better understand ourselves. Tools to help us recognize our thought patterns and how we speak to ourselves. Tools to help us align with our heart + our purpose. Tools to help us let go + open. Tools to help us show up fully in all our relationships – starting with ourselves. Tools to help us be a more socially conscious planet through supporting us on a mental, emotional, physical and spiritual level.
For a variety of short + free meditations, please click here. For more information on mindfulness + my services, please fill out the form on the contact page.