Mindfulness

What is mindfulness? To be mindful means to be aware of one’s feelings and thoughts at any given moment, as an observer. This means not to cling to our emotions and thoughts and not to view them as belonging to us. So, for example, if we are angry, we focus on the experience of anger without thinking that anger is part of us or belongs to us. The effect of mindfulness is twofold: The first is that we realise that by focusing on the experience itself without viewing that it is part of us, the experience will soon disappear and is replaced by some other thoughts and experience. The second thing we notice is that being mindful of our thoughts and experiences brings us to the present moment. The key to a contended life is to live in the present moment. But to practice mindfulness is only the beginning step towards a spiritual life. A real spiritual change or awakening happens when we combine mindfulness with helping and serving other people. It is through service and helping others that we realize that our outlook towards life becomes more positive because other people’s happiness is directly connected and linked to our own happiness.