What is mindfulness?

You have probably seen or heard the term ‘mindfulness’ in the mainstream and may be wondering ‘what’s mindfulness?’

Mindfulness as a practice has become more commonly discussed and prioritized in today’s society. It reduces stress, increases your sense of well-being, improves sleep quality, reduces pain levels, improves emotional wellbeing and ability to regulate emotions, and leads to greater happiness in general.

So what exactly is mindfulness and how do we incorporate it into our daily lives? Let’s first define mindfulness.

What is mindfulness?

The mindfulness definition is not limited to one specific definition or meaning.

The simple definition, however, is: [mindfulness is] the state of being mindful and/or aware.

It is the psychological process of being present with internal and external experiences, both in your body and in your mind, moment-by-moment. To practice mindfulness is to stay connected and in-tune with yourself, your feelings, emotions and thoughts in a way that does not involve judgment.

Now that you know what mindfulness is, let’s go on to learn how to become more mindful.

You can become more mindful by practicing mindfulness meditation.

What is mindfulness meditation?

Mindfulness meditation is above all, a practice. Therefore, it is important to do it consistently to strengthen your practice. The more that you put into it, the more you will get out of it.

So, how do you do mindfulness meditation? Simply sit or lie down in a comfortable position and focus on your body and breath. If your mind wanders away from your focus on your breath, gently bring it back to focus.

It is especially beneficial if you can practice mindfulness meditation every day, even if it just a couple minutes every day to start out. Some people find it useful to begin their morning with a meditation session to start their day on the right foot. It is also helpful to practice if you find yourself in a particularly stressful situation and can take a couple minutes break to re-connect, or before you go to sleep if you are having a hard time relaxing and winding down for the night.

Remember, it is important to be patient with yourself and accept where you are at and what you are experiencing. When you practice mindfulness, you can be with and love yourself at each moment.

Being fully present in the moment will give you an even better ability to be in tune with yourself and with the world around you. With it being so easy to get started, why not start today with a quick 2 minute mindfulness meditation practice?

Cover photo by [Simon Migaj](https://unsplash.com/@simonmigaj?utmsource=unsplash&utmmedium=referral&utmcontent=creditCopyText) on Unsplash_