To
gain awareness without trying to change anything. To be skeptical but open – to
see what happens.
You
need to consciously, intentionally and purposefully cultivate the attitudes of 7
Pillars of Mindfulness.
They
are not independent of each other.
This
Foundation of attitudes and commitment will guide you towards change.
Learn 7 Pillars of Mindfulness, as presented by Jon Kabat Zinn:
Non Judging
Mindfulness
is developed by being an impartial witness to our own experience impartially.
This requires standing back and observing our own thoughts. A great way to
practice this is observing your own breathing.
Patience
Patience
is considered to be a form of wisdom. It demonstrates that we understand and
accept that sometimes things must unfold in their own way and in their own
time. Take for example the Butterfly chrysalis if someone were to interrupt the
process of the butterfly emerging from the chrysalis, even with the best
intentions, the butterfly would never have the strength to fly.
Beginners Mind
Often
what we 'already know' can get in the way of seeing things as they really are.
Try attempting to experience everything as a new experience even if it is the
old same activity.
Even
routine activities are a new experience because every moment is a brand new
moment. This prevents us from getting stuck in the rut of our own expertise.
Try this experiment with a spouse or partner, a co-worker, or even on the drive
home from work.
Trust
Cultivating
trust in your own inner wisdom is an essential part of mindfulness practice.
Learning to honor your feelings and intuition when something does not feel
right is a fundamental aspect of cultivating inner wisdom.
When
practicing mindfulness you are taking responsibility for yourself and learning to
listen and trust your own being. The more you trust yourself the easier it will
be to trust others. This is particularly useful in the practice of yoga, or any
other form of exercise you do. You need to pay attention to your body, back off
or stop particular stretches.
Non-Striving
There
is purpose in almost everything we do. Either striving to get something or
somewhere. In meditation this attitude is actually an obstacle. It involves
practice and energy in non-doing, there is no other goal other than for you to
be yourself where ever you are at.
This
paradoxical thinking may sound crazy, especially because most people embarked
on the mindfulness journey to reduce pain and/or stress.
However
if you were to actually sit down and say, 'Now I am going to now reduce my stress and pain, or both by doing this meditation', you have introduced the
idea into your mind of where you should be as apposed to just being where you
are.
Acceptance
Acceptance
means seeing things as they truly are in the present moment. Quite often times
we deny or resist what is - especially if we don't like it. Unfortunately, by
not accepting we are spending much of our energy trying to force something to
be different.
This
can create more tension and prevent positive things from occurring. Acceptance
does not mean you have to take a passive attitude towards everything and
abandon your principals and values. It simply means you are no longer
resisting.
Letting go
Often
our minds get can get caught up on a certain thought or idea, despite our
knowledge of that no good can come of these particular thoughts, we continue to
focus on them. Alternatively there can be certain thoughts or emotions that we
try to avoid.
In
Mindfulness we try to just experience things as they are. Letting go is a way
of letting things be as they are. Consider what outcomes you are attached too,
and see if you can practice non-attachment. Try letting the experience be what
it is and just experience it moment by moment.
A
good example of letting go is falling asleep. We have to let go of our thoughts
and our tension in our body in order to go to sleep.
As presented by Jon Kabat-Zinn in Full Catastrophe Living 
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and
Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Dr. Jon
Kabat-Zinn is the book you MUST have.
It has become my reference book.
Every time I read it I open more and more aspects of wonderful practice every
woman have to learn and practice – mindfulness.
By using the practices described in the book, you can learn
to manage chronic pain resulting from illness and/or stress related
disorders...discover the roles that anger and tension play in heart disease...
reduce anxiety and feelings of panic; improve overall quality of life and
relationships through mindfulness meditation and mindful yoga.
