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

[Flick_SnotGrass]

Thanks Just Sara Sez,

My Brian popped in a bunch of stuff on The ANGER Monster this mourning when I woke up [thanx Brian] so I'm going to head over to where I think you will have started an ANGER Thread.

See you over in Anger, if I get lost I may be stuck in Haberdashery or [and this still makes me laugh] Manchester.

Flick

[blondguy]

Hi Everyone

Sara...your wisdom is more than welcome anytime and thankyou for being a part of this thread..... you are welcome anytime!

Hey Flick....You are spot about Sara's 'Anger' thread....its an excellent discussion topic. I hope you are doing reasonably okay too!

My Kind thoughts

Paul

[Flick_SnotGrass]

Hey blond guy, yes doing tolerably well today, thanks for asking...well let me think about that...hmm I meant to say "yes doing jolly tolerably well today, thanks for asking".

How well are you doing blondguy?

Flick

[Flick_SnotGrass]

Hey Nat,
I just posted a new Tip o' the Day on Staying Well...it's called "You can't force yourself to be HAPPY"
I hope you like it.
Cheers,
Flick

[MarkJT]

Geez go off line for a few days and a heap of threads to catch up on!!

Karen, for anger - when the angry monster is unleashed on me, i punish myself physically. I go for a run and go as hard as i can for as long as i can whilst listening to music that is just shy of thrash metal (YouTube the band Slipknot).

I find that once i am home or my destination, I am that cooked from the run, it has taken the edge off it and can calm myself down somewhat as the remainder of the anger is manageable.

Now this is clearly not for everyone but physical exercise is the ultimate for me.

Mark.

[blondguy]

Hi Flick...Thanks for the heads up on your new thread 🙂 I will have a look see. I havent been on the air recently but thankyou for asking....and I havent been too bad actually!

MarkJT....You and I both burn off the 'toxins' using physical assertion.....I use a crow bar and do some landscaping and moving some very heavy volcanic rocks around...The anger disappears quickly after doing so....except I listen to '80s music pumped up when doing so..Duran Duran....Human League etc ....lol 🙂

Welcome back coach!.....the 'JT' kind

Paul

[quirkywords]

Paul and all,

This is such a good thread.How are you going?

I am wondering if the name mindfulness sometimes turns people away as they imagine it is much more complicated than it is. Through this thread I have discovered in small ways I am doing a type of mindfulness without even knowing. I know this is at a simple level.

Does mindfulness need to be practised everyday or does it depend on the individual.?

Quirky

[blondguy]

Hi Everyone and New Posters are more than welcome to post 🙂

Hey Quirky, thankyou for another great post. I am still trying to get a handle on mindfulness and thanks to MarkJT I know a 99% more of what I did before I wrote this thread !

I know that MarkJT might kick me but I feel that mindfulness is an excellent tool when we are having mild to medium anxiety...but when the symptoms are severe I feel that a solid distraction.....a really good vent with a counselor......a small interval of direct relaxation...a bath...a spa...or even a really basic and boring movie can also help us to refocus our concentration from any impending thoughts of exacerbating anxiety

Otherwise Mindfulness is a great tool than we can use to take our thoughts off increasing anxiety by finding something else to focus on if we are approaching a heightened state of anxiety..

I havent been too bad and thankyou for asking Quirky 🙂 Ive been okay and looking at the glass half full...not half empty as usual lol. I think sometimes even with my 'super regular counseling' my brain does get tired thus explaining the gaps in my posts recently.

I hope you have been doing reasonably okay too Quirky and thanks again for the great posts 🙂

My Kindest as always

Paul

[quirkywords]

Hi everyone,

I did not realise it was so long since I posted.Ithink this is a great thread.Thanks Paul.

I wanted to share something that happened on he weekend. I was at market I hadn't been to before andI was getting a bit frustrated there were not many books to look at when I found a stall with lots of cheap interesting books. I sat down to sort through them. I read the titles, looked at the condition and was in my own world .I thought Iwas there maybe ten mins but discovered I had been there for over 30 mins. Maybe not mindfulness butI was focused and was not thinking of the usual things that churn over in my brain.

Also afterwards I felt in a good mood for quite a while .

Isuppose I need to get that same concentration level and happy feeling from other things than just buying/looking at books.

Paul I hope you and everyone reading is doing ok. I amlaways interestedinpeople's struggleswith mindfulness and ideas.

Quirky

I

[blondguy]

Hey Quirky

Always great to read your posts and thankyou for the super kind feedback too 🙂

I know that MarkJT had an excellent understanding where Mindfulness is concerned but after reading your post you definitely exercised the separation of any negative thoughts by looking through those wonderful old books..

You have done well as you have the core strength to 'lose' yourself in the moment.....(Mindfulness)

I am doing okay and thankyou for asking Quirky

Thankyou for your ideas on mindfulness....You seem to have a better grasp of it than I do 🙂

My Kind thoughts

Paul