Mindfulness

Mindfulness is nothing other than a present moment awareness, an open and friendly willingness to observe what is going on in and around us.

In its simplest form Mindfulness is when a person honours the present moment.

This means being aware of your senses, bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts and environment. Acknowledging, accepting and allowing what you discover without an instantaneous reaction to grab on to the experience, or change it.

In Angela’s own personal practice and experience, mindfulness is practice in coming back to our living body, back to our senses.  It is the quality of attention that recognises what is happening right here in the moment and doesn’t add  judgement or criticism. It is a practice in acknowledgement, acceptance and allowing everything to be as it is.

Why is mindfulness useful?

Physically – Prolonged stress equates to an overactive sympathetic nervous system (SNS) which is the system responsible for ‘fight or flight’. This increases the risk of health problems of the immune system (less defences against virus and infections), the gastrointestinal system (problems with digestion and bowel), the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels) and the endocrine (hormonal) system..

Mindfulness helps to reduce the release of stress related hormones that have a role to play in the over – activation of the SNS. Allowing our bodily systems to work without duress.

Mentally – Prolonged stress reduces serotonin, the neurotransmitter most important in maintaining good mood. Mindfulness can reduce the hold of anxiety and, or depressed mood by encouraging serotonin levels to return to balance. Also, the increased concentration and clarity that comes with mindfulness practice allows us to grow in awareness in how our thoughts, judgements and feelings can often contort or catastrophise an event or situation.

Emotionally – The way your attention relates to the present moment experience of the body has a huge effect on your state of inner well-being.

By repeatedly bringing us back to the here and now of the present moment, mindful awareness allows us the choice to soften, relax and feel for new possibilities. It has the potential to transform how we are with stressful, difficult and challenging events that enviably occur in life.

Overall Wellbeing – It has the potential to transform how we relate to ourselves, and so how we relate with others. Learning tolerance, acceptance and kindness with ourselves increase our ability to hold these qualities with others.

How does mindfulness work?

Embodying awareness always feels good, even if what we meet is uncomfortable, disturbing or emotionally difficult. Ultimately it feels good because we are seeing ourselves exactly as we are, and what is seen is being held in kindness. We are learning not to abandon ourselves when things don’t go to plan, or our liking.

Ways that Angela teaches mindfulness

Having practiced many forms of mindfulness over the past decade, the practices that Angela connects with, and find the most beneficial are those that continually keep bringing us back to the body.

Awareness of Body
– Becoming aware of bodily position, tension and holding
– Body scan
– Guided relaxation
– Coming to our senses

Awareness of Breath
–  Becoming aware of unnatural breathing patterns and breath holding
– Breath work practices

Mindful Movement
– Slowing movements down
– Qi Gong
– Tai Chi
–  Zen Yoga

Somatic Meditation
– Body based meditation practice