This is what happens when you are aware of your body

Although many people think about the mind when they hear 'mindfulness', in reality, the basis of the practice is the body. 

When we talk about mindfulness we often think about the mind. What if I told you that the basis of all effective mindfulness practice is the body.

Jon Kabat-Zinn's working definition of mindfulness is: 'Paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally'. 

While we can be paying attention to a lot of things in general, there are only a handful of things we can be aware of in the present moment. Our only anchor and gateway to that present moment is what comes through the five senses of the body. 

The sixth sense, the perception of the mind or consciousness, is usually linked to the past or to the future. Yesterday, I watched a very insightful video explaining how we construct the concept of time in our mind by continually oscillating between the subjective experiences of the past and of the future. This got me thinking and it occured to me that we cannot be aware of thoughts in the present. The moment that we become aware of a thought this is already in the past. 

On the other hand, the five senses of the body (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing) are gateways to the present moment. Only by paying attention to these 5 can we really be grounded in the present. 

If you have done any mindfulness practice you probably know that one of the most fundamental ways of cultivating awareness is through the body scan meditation. 

If you haven't already done so, you can consider signing up for my free 'practical mindfulness' online course here.

If this resonates with you and you want to speak with me or work with me, let's have a chat.

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