writer | editor | content creator
  • Home
  • free stuff
  • content
  • writing

This is what happens when you are aware of your body

29/5/2019

 
Picture
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.

For more:
Instagram 
Twitter
LinkedIn 
Facebook
YouTube

Comments are closed.
    Picture

    Martin Stefanov Petkov

    Master your Super Power

    get in touch

    Archives

    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016

    Themes

    All
    Bodywork
    Energy
    Happiness
    Harmony
    Health
    Mindfulness
    Misc
    Relationships
    Thinking
    Wealth


    RSS Feed

Let's get Social!

Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • free stuff
  • content
  • writing