What is a mindfulness practice?

Our days are full, and even if we plan to rest it is easy to get caught up in lists for all we want to do (or not do). We are constantly on the go—and that often means trusting that our life hacks, autopilot, or multitaking habits will give us the ability to get it all done. For many of us, this sense of go, go, go leads us to rush through things, perhaps aided by a late-day coffee, and then lie down unable to get the sleep we need. When you wake up, do you remember what you did yesterday? The small conversations? The podcast you listened to? The smile you shared with someone you met? The good idea you had? Life moves fast, and if you aren’t full of energy, taking notes or pictures on your phone to capture it all, you might miss a lot of it.   

What if it didn’t have to feel like that? I remember my graduate school advisor giving me advice on the first day we met. You’re here because you are thirsty to learn and it’s going to feel like we opened a fire hydrant, with water coming at you full blast. It’s hard to take a drink when the water is flying past, especially if you feel like you need to drink it all. Part of my training was to learn to observe rather than jump all-in, to see all that was in front of me, and truly experience the classes, research and teaching I chose to do.

Granted, I didn’t have mindfulness on my radar then, but I’m grateful there is a larger conversation about “being in the moment” happening now.

Mindfulness is being aware, or paying attention, and accepting your experience of the present moment without judgment.

Let’s unpack this a bit. Mindfulness is something you do on purpose. You practice focusing on the present moment. It sounds easy, right? But as “simple” as this is, mindfulness is challenging. You will not be fully mindful all the time. That said, the more you practice mindfulness in our studio, the easier it will be to take the pause—the breath—you need to be present in your life.

In yoga, we move with our breath, learning to focus on how our body feels as we inhale and exhale in a pose or flowing between poses. In meditation, we practice quieting our body and mind to focus on the present moment, noticing thoughts, feelings, and sensations that come up and letting them pass. Breath work is breathing with purpose. Although we breathe without thinking about it most of the day, we can control our breath in ways that relax or energize us in the moment.

Mindfulness is also about acting upon the benefits of being present. As become more aware and accepting of ourselves, doing so with others becomes more natural. Our relationships change. We listen more, and more deeply. Seriously, have you ever had a “conversation” with someone who was looking at their phone the entire time? You may walk away frustrated, feeling unheard, or disrespected. And, we may get so used to that happening that we forget to even listen to ourselves!

In all of our mindfulness practices, we are kind with ourselves. If we lose our focus on the present moment … lose balance in a pose, start thinking about our to-do list, or any number of things … we take a breath and begin again, returning to focus on the present moment. And it’s so easy to get frustrated with ourselves, so we practice starting again without judgment. It is always practice, never perfection.

Hopefully, you finish a class and feel calm and alert, maybe energized as if you just woke up from a night of restorative sleep!  And why not? You gifted yourself time and space to listen to yourself and to be yourself!

To learn more about mindfulness, the teachings of Jon Kabat-Zinn is a great place to start.