How Practicing Mindfulness Can Help You Stay Grounded?

How Practicing Mindfulness Can Help You Stay Grounded?

by Ainee Cha

Before we dive into all the benefits of practicing Mindfulness and Meditation.
Let’s get to know What is Mindfulness?

The Fundamentals of Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring
in the present moment, which can be developed through the practice of meditation and other
training. According to our renown Teacher Jon Kabat-Zinn;
“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose,
in the present moment, non-judgementally.”

Mindfulness is a ‘fully-conscious’ state of living that enables us to relate to our experiences
with higher accuracy and clarity. Much of Western society perceives mindfulness to be
‘emptying one’s head of thought’, whereas the exact opposite is true. Mindfulness involves
being acutely aware of our thoughts, emotions, and why we do what we do. It means being
aware in the moment and paying close attention to what is happening in the ‘here and now’,
instead of focusing on our past memories or future predictions.

Basically, it is what we see, do hear, smell, and feel; whatever our sensory organs receive
(five senses) at that moment and what we think (our thoughts).  Today, it is addressed to help
us to be grounded in the ‘fight-flight’ moments in our current life’s demand. It helps to develop
our ability to overcome unfavorable emotions, limiting thought patterns and unhelpful attitudes
or habits. Whilst, practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully engaged in the present moment
as an inherent ability necessary to our overall well-being.

How practicing mindfulness can help us to stay grounded?

I’d like to briefly explain how our brain works. Neuroscience has shown that our brain rewires
itself with every experience we encounter. This process is called neuroplasticity. When we
practice doing something, the more connected are the neurons in our brain, the stronger the
connections the faster the messages travel and more automatic they become. This is how
habits are created. Good or bad.

Research shows that almost half of what we do is habitual. Good habit such as putting on a
seat belt, brushing our teeth etc. What about bad habits such as negative self-talk or labeling?
Most of our behaviour are repeated in a same scenario, same circumstance, same people,
same time, same location or same feeling. So, when we do something often enough;  in a
consistent way; which produce the same feeling; and when this same scenario with the same
negative feeling are repeated, we label ourselves based on our behaviour in a specific
situation. Then, once it gets established, our behaviour or habit is formed. It becomes
automatic. Often, when we are in an ‘auto-pilot’ mode, we tend to react to the same
environmental queues or circumstances instead of responding consciously.

It is very difficult to change a behaviour or a habit, but it can be done through bringing
conscious awareness or mindfulness to these unhealthy behaviours or habits.It simply means
bringing the ‘invisible and unconscious’ to ‘visible and conscious’, thus allowing us to be able
to choose our responses whether to follow the unhealthy habit or otherwise.

Practicing mindfulness is like building up a muscle, the more you exercise it, the stronger it
becomes. Only rather than building up a muscle, practicing mindfulness strengthens our mind
(mental push-ups). Mindfulness is a life enhancing skill that enables us to expand our
conscious awareness and general presence. Mindful awareness allows us to become more
sensitive to what is occurring in the present moment, both within ourselves and also in the
outside world.

Meditation is a practice where an individual focuses his or her mind on a particular meditation
object, thought or activity to achieve a mentally clear, present moment, non-judgemental, and
emotionally calm and kind state. It may be done while sitting, walking, repeating a mantra,
and/or any daily activity. Meditation is simply a tool we use to cultivate mindfulness.

There are many benefits; both scientifically and experientially proven. Regular practice of
meditation promotes emotional health, reduces pain, stress, anxiety and depression,
improves concentration, enhances self-awareness, improves sleep, generates fulfilment,
loving-kindness and compassion. The list in endless…

I encourage you to set aside 5-10 mins a day to just sit and observe your breath.
Find the time of the day when you know you’ll be receptive to stillness. Some prefer early
morning, others like to wind-down to ground the day in the evening or before retreating to bed.

With Gratitude;
First and foremost, gently extend gratitude to yourself for taking this first step to
learn to about mindfulness and meditation.

Thank you for taking interest in my work.
May you be well and be happy.
May you be free from enmity and danger.
May you free from all sufferings.
May your life be filled with peace and kindness.
My gratitude to you my readers, you are my aspiration to give this journey a purpose.

Namaste!

Love,
Ainee Cha