Mindfulness
By slowing down enough to experience things as they are,
mindfulness brings us closer to the truth.
Mindfulness… What is it?
Simply put, Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to one’s direct experience in the present moment while maintaining a sense of openness, curiosity, and willingness to be with your experience, just as it is. In short, Mindfulness allows us to connect with ourselves more honestly and without distraction, thus allowing us to get to know what is real and true in our lives.
As I often say to my clients and students, by paying kind and present attention to what is alive in our lives, learning to be with joys of our lives, equally as the sorrows, Mindfulness brings us closer to the truth.
Sometimes, those are hard truths, and sometimes those are joyful truths. But either way, the truth is always liberating. And approaching the truth, no matter what it is, with mindfulness, presence, and patience grows our ability to live a fuller life.
I also often tell my clients and students that the greatest act of love or kindness we can give ourselves or others is to be fully present.
MINDFULNESS IS A PRACTICE OF SHOWING UP FOR LIFE, ONE MOMENT, ONE BREATH AT A TIME…
So, imagine if you could slow down enough to get to know what is alive in your life. How might your life change if you were fully present and not caught up in all the chaos?
How might you begin to heal the old hurts and wounds if you gave them the attention they so deserve?
How might new opportunities or possibilities open up in your life if you were clear and patient enough to discover what is true for you, and to know what you want?
Mindfulness helps bring us into the present moment of our lives. From this point, we can see more clearly, respond with more wisdom, act more decisively, care more compassionately, and show up more fully for a broader range of our very human experience.
Because seriously, despite how great your Instagram crush’s life looks, we are all going through it, in some way!
THIS IS ABOUT SLOWING DOWN ENOUGH TO SEE THINGS AS THEY REALLY ARE…
Think of all those times you reacted and wished you had responded more skillfully! Remember how bad you felt when you let your anger rip, and it hurt someone? Or worse, it hurt you.
Remember the regret you felt, wishing you had been kinder, more patient, more present?
Or what about that paralyzing anxiety that keeps you up at night? How about how you feel gripped with panic and fear?
Or worse… do you remember how everything always feels so overwhelming that you can’t go on like this anymore?
BETWEEN THE STIMULUS AND THE RESPONSE, There is a space…
I love what Victor Frankl says about Mindfulness…
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.”I know you. I understand how anxiety, fear, overwhelm, and panic are making life feel unlivable right now because I have felt ALL of it, too.
Some other time, I will tell you about the screaming/crying in the bathroom panic attack I had on a flight from Seattle to London with the flight attendants pounding on the bathroom door demanding I open up because they were afraid I might pose a threat.
Or maybe, I will tell you about when I was so depressed that I cried every day for six months – and not just a few tears here and there but a deluge of tears from sunup to sundown. Every, Single, Day. Nothing, absolutely NOTHING, pulled me out of the darkness except my meditation practice.
Because I know you have enough of your own stories of panic and depression, I might tell you instead about the times that my Mindfulness practice brought me back down to earth while calming and soothing endless pain, or the so many other ways that Mindfulness has saved my life over and over.
MINDFULNESS IS MORE THAN JUST A PRACTICE… its a way of life!
Besides all the stories I could tell, there are tons of other ways that Mindfulness helps us live a balanced, present, and healthy life…
Influenced by ancient Eastern wisdom traditions, Mindfulness and meditation ws powerful practices for cultivating self-awareness and spiritual development. And now, in modern times, as evidenced in loads of research, Mindfulness and meditation are valuable practices for…
cultivating self-awarenessrelieving stressdeveloping concentration and focussupporting nervous system regulation and physical wellnesscultivating emotion regulationgrowing our emotional capacity to be present with a wider range of human experiences
Mindfulness is…
An Ongoing Practice – of returning your attention to some element of your direct experience such as your breath, a physical sensation, an emotion/feeling/thought, or to some external object such as sound to cultivate concentration and focus and more deeply explore how you relate to your experience.
A State – of awareness (sense of knowing) of and attentiveness (direct focus) to what is happening in the present moment of one’s direct experience, resulting from an ongoing intentional practice of Mindfulness and meditation.
A Trait – is a general orientation toward present attention, a natural disposition, and quality of awareness, which often grows out of cultivating frequent states of Mindfulness.
OTHER WAYS MINDFULNESS Helps us…
From quieting the mind to opening the heart, Mindfulness is a complete practice for supporting wellness and awareness, through consistent practice; Mindfulness can also help you cultivate…
Kindness: Friendliness, generosity, and considerationConnection: Closeness and engagement with others and with lifeSelf-Acceptance: Fully welcoming and allowing yourself to be as you are, with care and loveConcentration: Focus, curious attention, wise investigation, knowing direct experienceInner Calm: Peace of mind, serenity, ease, emotional stabilityPresence: Emotional availability, grounded and attentive, quality of engagementSelf-Awareness: Conscious understanding of emotions, feeling, challenges, personal truthsInsight: Wisdom, awareness, understanding, discernment, intuitive understandingEmotional Resilience: Adaptability, flexibility, strength, emotional capacityCompassion: Care, empathy, concern, warmth, sensitivity, tenderness, tolerance, kindnessNervous System Regulation: A flexible nervous system that can handle healthy activation and return to a calm state with easeTHE SCIENCE OF Mindfulness…
Among neuroscientists, psychologists, and even CEOs, Mindfulness is all the rage these days. But what is the rage all about? We know it helps cultivate concentration, reduces stress, and increases inner peace – but how?
Besides the many psychological, emotional, and social benefits, on the most basic scientific level, Mindfulness practice supports nervous system regulation and healthy brain function. It triggers the relaxation response of the body when tension, inflammation, or stress are present.
Numerous studies from various international research institutions show that mindfulness practice, even just for 20 minutes a day, can help restore healthy cortisol levels in the bloodstream, a deeper sense of calm, and a general feeling of well-being.
Additional studies have shown that mindfulness practice changes the structure and function of the brain by rewiring reactive/negative thought patterns and inclining the brain toward more skillful and adaptive response patterns.
HOW DO I KNOW ALL THIS?
I was a science nerd trapped in the body of a Buddhist Hippie, and I have been studying and practicing forms of meditation for 20+ years, though I’m not so much of a hippie anymore.
Upon moving to the Bay Area, I was invited to work on several Mindfulness research studies through the University of California, San Francisco (USCF) and some other notable medical research institutions. I have been a teaching member of several research teams, exploring how Mindfulness supports patients living with HIV/AIDS, Diabetes, Mental health, and some other groundbreaking areas.
Yeah, it’s awesome!
Whoever would have thought that when I started meditation 20 years ago, I would be researching and studying Mindfulness alongside world-class doctors at renowned medical research institutions? I certainly never did, but this is what is so cool about Mindfulness – The data clearly shows that Mindfulness has profound implications on modern-day health and wellness!
SO, HOW ARE WE GOING TO BRING MINDFULNESS INTO OUR WORK TOGETHER?
That is a great question! Well, Mindfulness and the various practices we will explore together will be the very foundation of our work together.
Whether we focus on coaching, somatic counseling, or both, we begin by becoming present because it is in the present moment that you are living your life. In the present moment, you are healing old traumas or identifying future goals. And the depth of work we do in each area depends on the degree to which you begin to step fully into the present moment of your experience.
Depending on the situation, we might explore different mindfulness practices to help calm and settle your nervous system. We might do some Mindfulness-based exercises to help you recognize though you feel pain about the past or anxiety about the future; you are safe here in the present moment.
We might explore Mindfulness-based practices to help you learn how to be present with hard feelings and emotions, so you no longer need to run away from those feelings, and they no longer have control over you. We might even explore body-based Mindfulness practices to help you learn to relate to your body and the pain and illness you experience with more spaciousness and ease.
Or there are countless other ways to explore Mindfulness and meditation. But in every case, they will be for the foundation of learning how to live in the present moment without fear, resistance, or anxiety.
LET’S WORK ON BRINGING YOUR LIFE BACK INTO BALANCE!
As I said before and will probably say again once we meet in person, Mindfulness has saved my life so many times.
Mindfulness has helped me see more beauty – and to be present with fear rather than ruled by it.
Mindfulness helped me notice what I am feeling in the present moment while responding instead of reacting, allowing me to calm my nervous system, manage anxiety, and see negative thinking patterns. The list goes on.
I have confidence mindfulness will help you too!
TESTIMONIAL
Imagine a personalized meditation retreat: sessions with Nichole are exactly that experience. Strengthening my mindfulness practice and cultivating a sense of loving kindness were the gifts I received from my collaboration with Nichole. It is with heartfelt gratitude that I say thank you.
Barbara A., San Francisco
