Relaxation
Greater happiness
Stress reduction
Greater richness of experience
Sense of simplicity and calm
Awake to the present moment
A clearer sense of purpose
Feeling more resourceful
Improved confidence
Improved self esteem

In this busy world we live in, with it’s culture of 24/7 we seldom have a moment to ourselves. Much of our time can be taken up by all the external demands on our attention, our work, our relationships with colleagues and family, watching TV, reading the papers and so on. In fact we may feel that it is impossible to switch off or unplug ourselves from our mobile technology.

In those rare times when we may find ourselves alone without any pressing activities to deal with, we my find ourselves feeling rather lost and unsure, and reaching immediately for some distraction from ourselves. It is as if we have become a stranger to ourselves, or like an actor playing our roles in life.

Deep within ourselves, we may wonder how this all happened, despite the many advances we have witnessed in our world, and the material riches we have, there is something missing in our experience. It can seem as though we are gliding along on the surface, our lives only half lived and this feeling is profoundly unsatisfying.

Mindfulness is a way of coming back to our true selves, of being more fully present to our experience as it happens moment by moment. When we begin to really be aware of the world around us, to really take a moment to listen to the sounds around us, the singing of the birds, the taste of a ripe plum, we enter a different dimension of experience. This mindful dimension of experience, contains within it qualities of, richness, greater fullness and peacefulness.

Practising mindfulness helps counter the tendency of the mind to dwell in the past or future, either caught up in old stories or replaying unhelpful thoughts, or fantasising about situations to come. Mindfulness is not about loosing all of our past history or the need to plan for future events, but rather about bringing a quality of attention that is fully present to all the facts of our experience, in the only time we can act, in the present moment.

Mindfulness unlocks the door to the richness of our potential. We all have the natural intuitive and creative abilities that can bring us into proper relationship with other people and the world around us.

The practise of mindfulness of paying wise attention, brings us into contact with who we truly are. Clarifying faulty descriptions of ourselves gives us an experience of wholeness, which leads to greater happiness. We find that we are no longer operating on the surface of life, but engaging with life in a more authentic and creative way.

With the practise of mindfulness meditation we learn to tune into our experience of body, then emotions and then thoughts. By paying attention to one thing at a time we are no longer overwhelmed by thoughts and emotions. We can hold our more painful experiences in the greater space of our mind, putting them into the correct perspective. Meditation methods allow us to develop a creative response in situations, so we are not just reacting from habit or fear. We gain more tranquillity and perspective even if tired, and we can experience the joy of being alive more deeply.