Most of us are consumed by a self-created stream of incessant thought; swept up and away by a current of worries and wonderings, premeditated plans, and to-do lists. We are almost absorbed by the mind, swallowed by its torrent of pressure, stress, and anxiety.
It’s a wonder that we can find the inspiration to get out of bed in the morning or find a moment in daily life just to breathe.
I mean, this can’t really be living, can it?
Do you ever find yourself wishing that you could just hop off the hamster wheel of life and access a space of stillness where the mind slows enough for you to take a full, deep and relieving breath?
Mindfulness is the ability to slow the mind
and access the present moment.
In reality, this is easier said than done. The current surge of mainstream attention and investment into mindfulness and wellness movements is great, but do we actually know how to be mindful?
Firstly, we need to identify that we are not our thoughts. Eckhart Tolle, an expert on the art of presence for peace, and the author of The Power of Now, explores how one of the greatest steps towards accessing consciousness is simply realising that you are not your thoughts, you have thoughts.
Once you can access this awareness, you have already begun the journey towards the mastery of mind, naturally leading to the experience of many benefits, including a reduction of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and a significant increase in well-being.
So, if you are not your thoughts, then who are you?
Are you your thoughts, or are you the thinker of your thoughts? I invite you to become aware of your thoughts; to bear witness, to watch, to become the observer of your mind and the thoughts that arise there.
As you watch and listen, your awareness and
consciousness expands.
Are you aware of your thoughts?
What are you thinking?
Where is your attention?
Are your thoughts running stories of the past?
Is the mind obsessing over something that happened yesterday? Last week? Last year?
Are your thoughts running a narrative about the future are you playing our all the possible scenarios that could happen tomorrow? Next month? In 10 years?
My invitation to you is to watch your thoughts.
As you slow down and become aware, I invite you to become curious and begin to notice the nature of mind.
Is your mind overflowing with a deluge of thoughts? If so, how frequently do you think this could happen without you noticing?
The mind is continually thinking - that’s what the mind does. Just as the lungs breathe and the heart beats, the mind thinks.
A profound internal shift occurs when you realise that you are not your mind. You have a mind, just as you have a heart and lungs.
The Anatomy of the Mind
Let’s turn our attention to the brain. The amygdala is known as “the animal brain,” because it is the area of the brain that assesses danger and possible threats in order to keep us safe. Its primary concern is to minimise potential risks and ensure our survival. When this part of the brain is overactive - even if we are not consciously aware of its activation - it will continually focus on anything and everything that could go possibly go wrong. Fundamentally, an overstimulated amygdala is anxiety. The mind runs like a scientific theorist; assessing what could go wrong, generating hypotheses - usually based in fear - and working to assess and minimise the experience of potential threats. Here lies the problem; the mind can become fixated on risks, treats, danger, problems, worries, stressors, pressure, overwhelm, anxiety and depression. These experiences compound, creating further mental, emotional and physical disease.
A mind fuelled with fear becomes fertile ground
for the breeding of anxiety and depression.
Allow me to remind you: you can chose your thoughts!
This is where mindfulness comes in.
By realising we are not our thoughts, we can take the steering wheel and direct ourselves away from darker places.
We can create peace of mind which will, in turn,
free us from our mind-made suffering.
By observing your thoughts, you can ground yourself into the present moment, create space between the passing of one thoughts and the coming of another, and, consequently, slow the mind down. Conscious breathing resources the body, offering it calm and peace. Orient your attention to the now by noticing your surroundings; bring your awareness to nature, to the room, to your hands, to your breath. In this moment you are becoming completely present within the power of now.
As I mentioned earlier, mindfulness is easier said than done. The ability to detach from your thoughts and access the present moment requires practice - just like any other skill. Training your brain by noticing your thoughts, slowing your mind and body down, and grounding yourself in the present moment will enable you to shift your mental, emotional, and physical experience from anxious and distressed, to cool, calm, and connected.
Mindfulness practice moves you from a reactive state of survival
into a responsive experiencing of intentionally living your life.
As author, Robin Sharma wrote,
“The mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master.
I invite you to notice your thoughts and become the master of your mind.”