What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a non-judgmental practice that teaches us to be aware in the present moment.

Why is it important to be aware in the present moment?

It’s important because many of our troubles are created by future and/or past thinking.

Simply put, if you have anxiety about an upcoming event, many problems can be caused by worrying about the outcome of the event (future thinking). Some questions might be, “will I be successful at this event?” “will I make a mistake?” “what will people think of me if I do make mistakes?” and so on. The doubts and stories we tell ourselves can be endless, often spiraling downward to  a state of stress that creates and/or exacerbates physical and emotional reactions, thus creating worries about something that has yet to occur, or may never occur. Mindfulness offers tools so that these debilitating thoughts and emotions can take a back seat and not rule us.

Included in a mindfulness practice are a series of formal and informal exercises that help us to stay focused in the present, to acknowledge whatever it is that may arise within ourselves, to allow for curiosity and non-judgmental awareness and to let things be just as they are.