self awareness
Mindfulness
“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.” - Jon Kabat Zinn
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is learning to be in the moment, of being in a state of active and open attention to the present, rather than worrying about the future or the past. Learning to focus on feelings rather than pushing them away.
Evidence suggests that regular mindful awareness practice changes how our body and brain respond to stress, possibly strengthening connections in the prefrontal cortex and reducing reactivity in our limbic system, supporting self-reflection and self-regulation. These functions also play a critical role in our overall health and wellbeing.
Mindful awareness can also be practiced during activities of daily life. For example, interpersonal mindfulness involves applying mindful awareness to our interactions with others. The informal practice of living mindfully involves keeping one’s mind open to possibilities in a non judgemental manner and maintaining the recognition that the level of our awareness at any given moment is mediated by our thoughts, emotions, and past experiences. This mindful way of living helps us to live in a way that is more reflective and accepting of different views.
How can we can include mindfulness in our daily life
In my blog article, I share few examples on how we can include mindfulness in our daily life. This is known as the informal practice of mindfulness. Mindfulness is a way of life, hence we refer it to mindful living.
“Mindfulness shows us what is happening in our bodies, our emotions, our minds, and in the world. Through mindfulness, we avoid harming ourselves and others.” - Thich Nhat Hanh
What are the problems you are struggling with that mindfulness can help you?
- Anxiety
- Burnout / stress
- Excess worry / Overthinking
- Low performance
- Procrastination / Not achieving goals
- Lack of focus / concentration
- Communication / Relationship issues
- Low self esteem
- Lack of self care
- Feeling out of balance
- Emotional disregulation
- Lack of clarity
- Feeling of unhappiness
- Negative eating habits / weight
- Chronic pain
Benefits of Regular Mindfulness Practice
- Reduces anxiety, feel less worried and less stressed
- Learn to remain calm and peaceful amidst stressful situations
- Builds resilience
- Emotional regulation as you become more self aware
- Release yourself from old negative habits if you choose so
- Pay more attention to the present moment and to the sensory experience
- Become more aware of your thoughts and how they are effecting you (mentally, emotionally, sensory)
- Enhances creativity
- Improves (personal, romantic, parental and work) relationships as we become less judgemental and more compassionate
- Improves performance as ability to hold information and process it gets better
- Improves focus and concentration on the task in hand • Improves decision making abilities
- More disciplined and motivated to achieve your goals • Eating mindfully
- Improves the general wellbeing as mindfulness encourages self care
I came across Catherine's mindfulness course for children initially with the intention of sending my son, but it turned out that I attended the adults sessions myself instead, where I found a new sense of being through life's abundance of waves and challenges. I felt connected with the topics shared and taught, feeling on the same wavelength. It was an investment in myself at a time I felt so drained with what was going on around me. I learnt to pause, think, enjoy and embrace these moments. In a nutshell, I learnt to live more with gratitude towards the little daily delights of the present. I always felt very comfortable around Catherine's positive energy!
Why do I teach Mindfulness?
I am an Accredited Mindfulness Practitioner and Trainer for Adults and Education with the accredited EFT and Mindfulness Centre (https://www.eftandmindfulness.com/)
I have been delivering mindfulness courses and workshops including mindful eating workshops for the last few years. I also facilitate mindfulness sessions at the workplace. I use mindfulness in my 1-1 coaching practice.
I have been practising meditation for over 10 years. Meditation including mindfulness have been my foundation of strength, resilience, self awareness, happiness, balance, grounding, self acceptance and self love.
It is part of my purpose to share this simple yet powerful practice to as many as possible in different ways. I have a vision of having a mindful world; mindful societies, mindful schools, mindful workplaces and mindful families so that we can live a more happy, fulfilled and meaningful life.
You can read more about me here.
My 6 year old daughter took the mindfulness course with Catherine in March-April, 2019. She loved every session and enjoyed being involved. She learned about the structure of the brain and how it functions, how to concentrate and pay attention, how to express her feelings and control her worries, eat mindfully, how to stop the bullies and many more other life skills. I found it extremely helpful for the overall development of the child. Highly recommended!
Would you like to know more on how mindfulness can change your life ?
Let’s have a chat, to see if working with me is right for you!
Research and Evidence
Thirty years of informed basic research and, more recently, neuroscientific studies show that mindfulness training develops one’s concentration, attention, executive function, (planning, decision making, and impulse control), emotional balance, pro-social behaviour, compassionate action and promotes mental well- being.
Mindfulness is evidence based and recommended by Doctors in the NHS. It’s also used in the military, politicians, schools, banks, athletes, major corporations such as Google, Apple, Aetna, Bank of England. Cancer Research UK recommends mindfulness as a complementary therapy to help cancer patients cope with pain, insomnia and nausea.
This is some of the research and evidence that is available for mindfulness:
- Building the case for Mindfulness at the Workplace – Publication by the Mindfulness Initiative – http://themindfulnessinitiative.org.uk/publications/building-the-case
- Mindfulness research / case studies relating to education – https://www.mindfulnessineducation.com/research-mindfulness-in-education.html
- Meditation practice is associated with lower levels of psychological distress, including less anxiety,
depression, anger, and worry (cf. Baer, 2003; Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007; Greeson & Brantley, in press; Grossman et al., 2004). - Research suggests that people with higher levels of mindfulness are better able to regulate their sense of well- being by virtue of greater emotional awareness, understanding, acceptance, and the ability to correct or repair unpleasant mood states (Baer et al., 2008; cf. Brown, Ryan, & Creswell, 2007; Feldman et al., 2007). The ability to skillfully regulate one’s internal emotional experience in the present moment may translate into good mental health long-term.
- Academic Articles and Research – https://www.themindfulnessinitiative.org/journal-papers