This heading really came about because of my frustration with how “mindfulness” is sometimes portrayed or thought about in the modern world. The frustration genuinely comes from people’s lack of understanding or ignorance of the term and practice.

Lets just re-cap: Mindfulness can be developed by paying attention in a certain way, that is, in the present moment and with an open -heart as non-reactively and non-judgementally as possible. It is a way of developing an awareness of ongoing life experience and accepting the world as it is right now. This is the textbook definition of mindfulness. The practice of mindfulness and meditation is ancient and has a wealth of scientific substantiation.

However, let me let you into a little secret. Mindfulness is NOT sitting in a certain posture at the same time every morning as a way to distract yourself from your life, mindfulness is NOT an excuse to ignore your responsibilities, mindfulness is NOT meant to cause you stress because you ‘missed’ your practice or you have to prove yourself because you ‘meditate daily’. Mindfulness is not practiced by ‘alternative’ people who have no direction in life.

Mindfulness is a tool you can turn to when it suits you. Mindfulness is there for you whenever you want to pick it up. Mindfulness has your back and gives you moments of quiet and calm when you need it. Yes, mindfulness is proven to re-wire your brain and make you more productive but it is not meant to cause any stress. If mindfulness isn’t for you or you think it’s a crock of s*** then don’t practice it – simple.

The thing is, with any ‘buzzword’ there is bound to be confusion. As humans we love routine and being told what to do. But ‘Mindfulness’ isn’t that black and white. Learning to let go and grow with the practice is entirely up to you, just make sure you do it on your terms.

Adopting mindfulness into your daily routine can bring about so many benefits to yourself and others such as relaxation, better mental health, better emotional health, an improved relationship with yourself and others and a discovery of your observer self which will provide you with more meaning and purpose. If you have a crazy morning keeping fit, getting the kids off to school, sleeping, getting ready for work, taking business calls, training clients then practice mindfulness at another time. If you can’t get used to meditation why don’t you adopt some breathing techniques or do some mirror work? Instead of saying ‘no, I can’t do it’ or ‘it doesn’t suit my schedule’ come up with a solution instead.

There is no expectation with this practice and ironically there is NO judgment, that is the whole point of mindfulness. YOU DO YOU and if you can get into your mindfulness flow, high five!

Sophie is a qualified Mindfulness and Meditation teacher. She offers seminars in corporate environments and at events. She also offers Health coaching and mindfulness training online and face to face. If you want to book her for your next event or hire her as your coach, click here.