An Introduction to Mindfulness

I am very excited to focus on mindfulness at Rivercity Pilates this month. I have to admit, a few months ago I am not sure I really understood mindfulness. I am still not sure I do, but I am excited to share a few insights from my experience taking the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program through the University of Iowa.

When I signed up for the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, I was apprehensive and not entirely sure what I was getting myself in to….What is mindfulness? How do I achieve it? What will it do for me? What I learned is there are many possible answers to these questions.

While my understanding of mindfulness continues to evolve, after participating in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program, I have some initial answers to my questions.

What is mindfulness? According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Mindfulness is the awareness that comes from paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally.”

How do I achieve it? Mindfulness is a practice, not a destination. It is a way of living. In the words of Jon Kabat-Zinn, being mindful is simple but not easy.

A few ways that we practiced mindfulness during the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program include a guided body scan, meditation, mindful eating, mindful movement, and paying attention to our senses (smelling, tasting, feeling, seeing, and hearing) during events throughout the day.

What will it do for me? There are many potential benefits of practicing mindfulness, including decreased stress, decreased chronic pain, decreased anxiety, improved anger management, and improved quality of life. Personally, practicing mindfulness is helping me become more responsive rather than reactive. It is helping me focus on the present, rather than dwelling in the past or worrying about the future. It is helping me become a little less judgemental with myself by focusing on the process rather than the outcome. And for all of that, I am grateful.

“Mindfulness means seeing things as they are, without trying to change them.  The point is to dissolve our reactions to disturbing emotions, being careful not to reject the emotion itself.  Mindfulness can change how we relate to, and perceive our emotional states.”

Tara Bennet-Goldmen,PhD in Emotional Alchemy

For more information about mindfulness programs at the University of Iowa, visit https://uihc.org/mindfulness-programs