Mindfulness is believed to date back 2500 years, to the time of the original Buddha, who was born Siddhartha Gautama. 

While the concept of mindfulness has been around for centuries, it’s just as relevant today, especially for enhancing our well-being, perhaps as a tool for improving our spiritual intelligence.

Mindfulness is not a religion, but an intelligent philosophy. It’s a way of ‘being’ in a busy world.

In essence, it’s about giving our full attention to the present moment. If you’ve ever noticed a beautiful sunrise or the rain on your windowsill during a storm, you’ve probably already been mindful. 

A key element of mindfulness is “non-judgement” , experiencing the moment just as it is without getting caught in a commentary about how we think it should be. This means we can learn to pay attention to a thought or feeling, without indulging a narrative about why it’s there.

Instead of pushing experiences away and then reacting out of habit, mindfulness invites us to notice what’s happening, so that we may learn to control how we respond when things are difficult.

It’s not a ‘cure’ for every problem on its own though and was never intended to be. Its purpose, if it has one, is to help relieve suffering. Alongside other strategies, it can be a helpful way of managing unhelpful thinking, regulating difficult emotions and living a more peaceful life. 

Some people who haven’t tried mindfulness before may find it’s not suitable if they’re in the midst of a personal crisis; expecting to be able to tame the mind when you’ve never tried before may cause more problems than it solves. This is why a trained practitioner can advise and where personal therapy or a supportive social network can help. You may also find keeping a meditation journal useful.

What are the benefits?

Every year more and more research highlights the benefits of mindfulness and meditation. These include:

• Effective relaxation
• Reducing stress and improving mental health
• Managing pain
• Improving the immune system
• Better sleep and reducing insomnia
• Enhanced concentration
• Lowering blood pressure

and much more.

Mindfulness or Meditation?

Mindfulness is the practice of being aware and is possible anywhere: whether walking, sitting in a meeting or having a cup of tea, you can turn your focus towards the present moment to experience it just as it is. It is sometimes referred to as informal meditation or “off-cushion practice” and is often done with eyes open. Mindfulness can therefore be done at home, at work, on the bus, in a busy supermarket, even in the dentist’s chair. You can be mindful for as long as feels helpful, though usually it’s spontaneous and may only last a few minutes. 

Meditation on the other hand is usually within a specific time period, adopting a chosen posture, often closing your eyes with the intention to be mindful, perhaps with an awareness of the breath or the body. Also known as formal meditation or “on-cushion practice”, meditation may also have a designated space perhaps in your home; people often choose their bedroom.

If you decide to regularly meditate – the “on-cushion” activity – you may do between 10-20 minutes a day, but it’s a personal choice. The more you do (within reason) the sooner you may see some benefit.  There are a range of mindfulness meditation activities and a resources area with guided practises (subject to availability) when you purchase my book Answers In The Dark.

Is Mindfulness right for everyone?

Mindfulness has many benefits and is scientifically proven to help people feel calm. It can also help to manage mild to moderate stress, depression and anxiety – it can even help us sleep better, which in turn may improve our dream quality.

One important aspect with mindfulness and meditation is to be trauma-sensitive – i.e. have an awareness of what may be triggering. In particular, people who have suffered trauma or have a severe and enduring mental illness may find it uncomfortable to turn their attention towards the body or breath. If you’re ever worried about trying mindfulness or mindfulness meditation, speak to your healthcare team.

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Delphi is the author of Answers In The Dark: Grief, Sleep and How Dreams Can Help You Heal, out now on Amazon and Hive.  You might also like Monday Mojo™. The Helping You Sparkle™ magazine / The Dreams Maven™ is part of the Helping You Sparkle™ portfolio.

 © Delphi Ellis 2023, updated 2024