What is this #mindfulness stuff?
“In today’s rush, we all think too much — seek too much — want too much — and forget about the joy of just being.” ~Eckhart Tolle
It seems like everywhere we look in education, online, in the bookstore, on Facebook and Instagram, we see #mindfulness... and it has become very apparent to me as someone who is practicing, studying and teaching mindfulness that NO ONE seems to "get" it. What IS mindfulness?
I have had people tell me that they practice mindfulness by sending "good vibes" out into the world, hoping for peace. That mindfulness is meditation. We see "mindfulness activities" where kids make things, do things. These are all good, don't get me wrong. But I'm here to tell you... Mindfulness isn't about sending juju out, making something, all of that stuff. It is about getting quiet, breathing, feeling (both the physical body and the emotions), really listening to yourself and your own stuff, being attentive to the sounds, sights and textures around you... it is all of this and more. Mindfulness starts within. It isn't about "sending out". It is about "going in". Trust me... there is a whole world within you, within your kids, that is just waiting to be explored.
yogees is just starting to incorporate mindfulness in classes we teach, because we believe that our teachers need to have a mindfulness practice- daily- before we can begin to share that practice. Would you like to start a mindfulness practice in your home? Start here:
Find a seat. Sit tall, with 24 bones in a row. It can be in a chair, or criss cross on the floor. Or, you can lay down on the floor, supporting your knees. Set a timer for 5 minutes. Just breathe in and out. Don't try to change how you are breathing, just breathe easily. When you breathe in, count "1", breathe out, count "2"... keep counting. When you start to think about something, that's okay... just start over counting at "1" and count again. Don't get mad at yourself, don't judge yourself... Everyone's mind and thoughts jump in. This is part of the practice. Try this once per day for a week. See what happens! We'll keep posting, you keep practicing!
