About Mindfulness

Definition

At its most fundamental, mindfulness is simply paying attention. It results in a state of enhanced awareness of

• your self,
• the world around you, and
• your place in it.

 

Benefits

Mindfulness has been practised for centuries as part of Buddhist enlightenment but has now broadened to be used more widely for the way people can step aside from daily habits and routines to connect with their lives and their surroundings more effectively.

There is even a growing amount of evidence that mindfulness can provide benefit in some health conditions, especially those conditions which result in stress as well as their component symptoms.

Types of Mindfulness

For many proponents, mindfulness is achieved via meditation, performed in a traditional way. It requires an element of peace and tranquility, and takes time to achieve. Given its roots in Buddhism, it also tends to be couched in a spiritual terms which some can find off-putting.

However, we are increasingly aware that mindfulness can be achieved in other ways and bring additional benefits to wellbeing and quality of life. In fact, there are actually three types of mindfulness - mindful meditation, mindful focus and mindful attention.

Mindful Meditation is the traditional form whether performed as part of the spiritual requirements of Buddhism or Hinduism or simply as a way to relax and connect with your self.

Mindful Focus is where relaxation results from an activity which is so engrossing you are only really aware of that activity. It might be characterised by the phrase "time flies when you're having fun".

Finally Mindful Attention is and on-going capacity to notice, be properly aware of, and enjoy key moments in your life as and when they happen.

Benefits

In Buddhism the benefit of mindfulness is specific to the aims of the religion and part of the path to self-enlightenment. For me, the key aspect to inform mindfulness in a secular context is that it should involve awareness without judgement. Noticing the good and the bad but not reacting to it. Accepting it simply as a fact.

Much of the modern western focus on mindfulness, especially at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, has been as a way to achieve relaxation and reduction in stress by taking time to focus attention on something more pleasant. Both of these can be achieved via the first two types of mindfulness. There is also a hybrid version which involves passively focussing on pleasant images and/or sounds to become more aware of their beauty.

Being more mindful lets you consider everything more carefully - good or bad - which helps you get things in proper perspective. Mindfulness will also help you notice small everyday joys which you can use to lift your spirits.

There is an increasing body of evidence which suggests mindful meditation has a beneficial role to play in modern medicine. Much of this is began with insightful work done by Jon Kabat-Zinn at the Stress Reduction Clinic, and is now widely recommended for a variety of physiological conditions as well as mental health.

Everyday Mindfulness

However, for me, there is even more to mindfulness. Mindful Attention provides a mechanism to improve quality of life and mental wellbeing. It is a practical skill to provide you with greater awareness in the real world. It is being able to apply mindful focus on everyday events and has the capacity to make the ordinary extraordinary. It is having the fundamental skills and understanding of mindfulness at your disposal to notice the moment at a moment's notice. It is these skills our exercises are designed to foster.

By developing mindful attention you notice details in even the most everyday situation and we believe this makes life richer, gives you a different perspective and encourages creative thinking.

Our Exercises

These types of mindfulness activity focus mostly on relaxation but they are quite passive and I find I have to be in.In addition to improving mental health and wellbeing Professor Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues have demonstrated there are tangible medical benefits to reducing stress with mindfulness meditation.

We think there's even more to it. There are different types of mindfulness and the benefits range from relaxation to a richer and fuller lifestyle.

Most mindfulness activities focus on relaxation but at Magnolia Joe's we go further and help you learn a practical mindful focus. This ensures We want you to notice a moment at a moment's notice. By developing mindful attention you notice details in even the most everyday situation and we believe this makes life richer, gives you a different perspective and encourages creative thinking.

Practice Makes Perfect

Practising mindful attention regularly can help it become embedded in your way of thinking. It becomes part of your life, almost automatic and available whenever you need it without a lot of mental preparation. You can then, for example, interrupt stress at any time, with a mental snapshot of a past happiness.

We believe our unique approach will help you to that goal.

Beyond Beautiful Images

Mindfulness is most often associated with images of tranquility and nature. However, busy minds are sometimes too noisy and you need to interrupt the stress first. Each of our Observationals is a beautiful intriguing image you can enjoy in its own right or explore to discover mindful relaxation. The idea is to distract your conscious mind from the noise of everyday concerns with a simple challenge and thus allow you to move towards a more mindful calm. Each is created to intrigue and surprise and so help you focus and enjoy.

As your focus grows, you notice more and so your instinctive curiosity encourages your mindful attention. And by focussing on the requirements of the present moment and putting things back into perspective, you will also enjoy the peace and relaxation that brings.

Thus, as you go back to the images and notice more and more, you are training your brain to look beyond first impressions and take time to notice more detail.

Once you have practised this mindful attention, it’s much quicker and easier to use it in the bustle of everyday life. You only have to remember to pause for a moment and you will notice things you would normally miss and see things differently.

Seeing the everyday with a different eye is like taking a moment's holiday. Magnolia Joe’s mindfulness activities are the journey to that wonderful destination.