Step Thirteen: Embrace Mindfulness

What is Mindfulness?

If you are determined to reverse your symptoms you can spend a ton of money on therapies or … you can become more mindful. The difference? Mindfulness is free and always very effective.
Mindfulness helps people live more fulfilling lives, reduces stress and as a result,  quiets symptoms.
“Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of what’s happening in the present moment. Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly doing or experiencing in your body and mind, you’re being mindful.” Bob Stahl PhD

The idea behind a  successful mindfulness practice is to become totally and completely how-to-become-more-mindfulpresent to each and every moment – to live in the present moment – not in the past or the future. Stress exerts an unrelenting pressure on our bodies when we slip into the past with our thoughts or skip into the future with our worries. If we fixate on rehashing past experiences that were traumatic or hurtful or unpleasant – we will insure that our body continues to release an onslaught of stress hormones. If we worry about what the future holds in store for us, we fixate on events that rarely ever happen.

When thoughts are centered in the past or future, the body is suspended in a continual state of stress. Cells are flushed with blasts of adrenaline throughout the day. This leaves little energy for the body to manufacture dopamine. Symptoms flourish under such conditions. They thrive on stress that is fueled by worry, fear, regret, guilt and anger.

Click on the link below to download the first in a series of 8 booklets that introduce mindfulness challenges.

Exercises_for_Noticing

For other information and resources about mindfulness visit:

Mindfulness