Mindfulness Meditation
I have an ongoing mindfulness meditation group. Meditation is training our minds to live in the present moment. We all live with regret about the past and anxiety about the future. This habit steals from our awareness and enjoyment of life. Life is a series of moments, the past is gone, the future, imaginary. How do we train to be present? There are many types of meditation. In Mindfulness training we sit still in a group with head, neck and trunk aligned but relaxed so our nervous system is flowing freely. Then we step back with our awareness and observe our thinking, feeling and sensations. When the mind wanders and we get caught up in thought we gently come back to our breathing. We ask our minds to do a lot of activities of focus and concentration. Meditation is giving the mind a break and letting it come to balance. When we start, often the mind will race around . We become aware of thoughts, feelings and sensations we didn’t even know we had. Just like if we had a wild horse in a big coral, at first it would run and buck and make a ruckus but eventually it settles down. The benefits of meditation are many; balance, clarity, insight, better organization, and peace. Mindfulness can enhance your quality of life and contributes to better mental and emotional health.