Mindfulness: What Is It? (Even if you dont know please post so we can help grow the forums accordingly)

[blondguy]

Hi Everybody

This is only the basic dictionary definition...

"Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and feelings from a distance without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment without judgement"

• Please be as blunt you wish....If you dont have an idea about mindfulness it would be great if you could let us know
• If mindfulness hasnt worked/or is too broad a concept for you it would great if you can let us know your thoughts too
• If mindfulness has helped you, please help others to help themselves by posting how you have embraced this mindset

It goes without saying that the forums are a judgement free zone and I really hope that everyone can jump in and have their say

Your input is highly valued no matter how you respond to this topic. There are no experts here...New Posters are Most Welcome!!

My Kindest Thoughts

Paul

[Ggrand]

Hello Dear Quirky...

I think you were being mindful and living in the present while you were doing your lovely collage..because you were putting your full self into it...

You teachers and family were so wrong...If only they could see you and your collage, they would admit those words they spoke to you so many years back were meaningless, negative comments they made because they didn’t know the full meaning of art... Art is a way to expression our thoughts and feeling, it’s not a perfect painting or picture, it’s you, me and everyone putting their inner self onto paper...

Mindfulness is spending time with you..the complete you..allowing your thoughts and body become one with whatever your doing at the time...Well done lovely Quirky..

My mindfulness is me sitting outside with the gumtree across from me..starting at the roots and slowly travelling up looking at the trunk and the way the many branches form weird and strange shapes then the many leaves that sway in the wind....mindfulness is a beautiful way to live with only ourselves for a few moments in the present...

We both done some soul healing mindfulness and that is helping ourselves...

Kind thoughts with care Dear Quirky and everyone reading...

Grandy..

[smallwolf]

hey there quirky,

not sure if I mentioned this here before ... mindfulness vs mindlessness ...

something like waking up, going and having a shower, getting dressed, having breakfast, etc. can be classed as mindlessness activities as you are running on auto-pilot and do not have to think about what you are doing. You just do it.

art can then be a mindful activity where the colors, textures pull us into the moment. Here you only require a sense of freedom and curiosity. You are not thinking about the past or imagining the future.

[quirkywords]

hello all

Grandy thanks for your comments.

i can see you among the gum trees.

smallwolf

I understand the difference between mindlessness and mindfulness.

Thanks for explaining.

[blondguy]

Hi Everyone! Quirky..Grandy....and Tim for assisting the readers and members of the forums!

Has anyone noticed how 'some' health professionals mention ' have you tried mindfulness?' to people that are experiencing anxiety/depression?

Just my humble opinion ...I think that 'Mindlessness' makes a lot more sense

What do you think?

Have a really good weekend everyone! Hey Tim!

[CMF]

Quirky,

That is great. I'm glad you were able to remove the negative comments from your thoughts and enjoy the process. Even better you are thinking about the next one.

Very proud and happy for you.

Cmf x

[quirkywords]

Hello all

thanks CMF and Paul.

i think it can be helpful for health professionals to mention mindfulness as long as it explained so that people don’t feel pressured if they have trouble doing mindfulness.

For ages I felt bad because I felt I could do not do mindfulness while everyone else seemed they could.

That is why this thread is encouraging and helpful without putting on pressure.

[tranzcrybe]

Hi Paul et al,

"Just my humble opinion ...I think that 'Mindlessness' makes a lot more sense"

I guess it's possible to get hung up on the terminology over methodology, but you are right - Mindful can be misleading if taken incorrectly as "filling one's mind" with anything.

At the same time, Mindless has other connotations which have nothing to do with "emptying the mind", but again, I see where you are coming from on this point.

Releasing superfluous thoughts (including negativity and 'self chatter'), paradoxically, is the essence of Mindfulness - being aware of what your mind is holding onto without purpose (think of it like holding a large rock - no reason, but it sits there and drains energy nonetheless) and allows rationality to ask "Why am I continuing to retain this thought?" and thus gives rise to simply letting it go.

How many 'rocks' do we carry around with us every day without ever realising it? They are there but we are not mindful of them to take action (I'm sure we could easily dredge up a past memory of trauma - if that is possible, then that is a 'rock' weighing us down). Even if we try to 'store' them in the dark recesses of our mind, we are still dragging them around with us - unwittingly or intentionally hanging on to the suffering, for what purpose?

What's worse, negative experiences seem to have power over us to dictate when we shall heed their call - in such instances, they choose when to become mindful of us!

Perhaps Mindfulness could be summed up as taking back control of the thoughts you choose to embrace, those to discard, and others that have overstayed their welcome.

Regards all,

t.

[quirkywords]

Tranczrybe

Thanks for your interesting response.

You wrote :”Why am I continuing to retain this thought?" and thus gives rise to simply letting it go.“

Sometimes it is not so simple.to just letting thoughts go when they are being repeated.

[smallwolf]

@Quirky - there was an exercise I had to do. It was one assoc. with ACT and the ideas was to put the thought on the thought onto the side of the bus and watch it drive off. GUESS WHAT! The bus was on some sort of loop - the same thoughts kept coming back and the same bus.

@Everyone- Putting aside any issues with what mindfulness is or is not, there is also a great variety of strategies and forms and exercises and coping tools. Rather than getting fixated on definitions and the like, each finding our own ways to deal with our thoughts.... some might be easier with aural exercises, others with art, or using our hands, etc.

[smallwolf]

Walking is a exercise. It can also be a mindful exercise (at the same time)!