Mindfulness: What I have discovered
I often get asked about my own journey to mindfulness, so I’m taking the opportunity here to share a little about this.
I had joined my first mindfulness course (in 2018) out of curiosity and not because of a particular conscious need. I remember a friend telling me: ‘everyone with a heartbeat should be joining a course like this’. So I went along with the ‘experiment’ and discovered this:
I became AWARE of patterns I was not conscious of
🌱I discovered that I’d been in constant striving mode .. repeatedly looking for an external source of fulfilment (a different job, a different country, new connections etc..) .. the grass always seemed greener elsewhere. This striving pattern was accompanied by feelings of restlessness simmering in the background.
I learnt SELF-REGULATING skills
By using meditation as a practice-ground to stabilise attention and regulate emotions, I learnt that
💡 I can train myself to shift to a grounded, stable and calm state, by connecting to my body and my senses, and consciously stepping out of the (often pushy) narrative of my thoughts.
💡 When I feel centred and grounded, I can gain a better understanding of how I function as a human being: what keeps me occupied, how I relate to change, how I react to discomfort etc.
💡When I am aware and present, I can incline my mind to consciously notice more of the good things happening around me.
💡I can train myself to set personal boundaries and let go of my attachment to certain thoughts, beliefs and expectations that do not serve me.
💡I have choices in how I respond to change, difficulty and conflict, by making space before I habitually react in unhelpful ways. This allows me to see the situation in a new light.
💡Being gentler and more accepting of myself and my experience does not only support my own wellbeing but is a gateway to strengthening the connection to others.
And lastly, I concluded that
⭐ feeling fulfilled is a natural outcome of being present with life as it is, not as I want it to be.
I’m very thankful for this first course, as mindfulness continues to play a central role in my life.
