Meditation simply means “going within.” In other words, bringing your awareness inward, being still with oneself, and exploring internal experience. In mindfulness we use the phrase “becoming the curious observer of your own experience”.
Mindfulness Meditation is about being not doing.
“Being what?” You might ask.
Mindfulness Meditation is about being present in the moment in a non-judgmental way. It allows us to drop away from the overactive thinking mind and simply be. It allows us to focus on the space where we can notice what’s happening in our thoughts, feelings, and body. When we listen, we become informed and unlock the inner wisdom that each of us carries inside.
We are NOT our thoughts. We are NOT our emotions. We are NOT our mistakes. These things do not define us, they inform us! They are our gifts, but all too often we allow them to determine who we are and how we live our lives.
Mindfulness meditation provides us the opportunity to listen with curiosity, see with more clarity, and learn about our personal patterns of thought, emotion, and reactivity. Mindful meditation allows us to respond consciously to the moments in our lives rather than react in unskillful ways. These opportunities arise when we allow ourselves the time and space to become still and quiet. Meditation is not about “blanking out” or “blissing out”, it is about sitting quietly with ourselves, tapping into our own goodness, our own personal experience within our own body.
We all possess the capacity to be mindful. Once we begin to experience and cultivate this practice, we invite peace and ease to our present situation; we invite joy and well-being into our lives.