The Power of Living with Mindfulness in the Moment.

For today's blog post we'll consider mindfulness as the consciousness awareness of the here, now, and this before us. Being 'mindful in the moment' enables and empowers us to live in the truth and reality of the here, now, and this before us.

When we are mindful from moment to moment we maintain a continuum of consciousness, a moment-by-moment awareness of, and attention to our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. 
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Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them as a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

Mindfulness is also the practice of conscious and active alignment with our guiding values, principles and ideals. The practice of mindfulness keeps us aligned with what is true and good to us. It enables us to make choices and decisions that empower our values, ideals, intentions and goals. It is the essential element to living consciously, with intention.

The practice of meditation helps us to learn the ability to be single-minded, consciously aware, and mindful in the moment. We will discus the what, why, and how of the principles and practice of meditation in an upcoming blog.

The practicing of mindfulness can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits. Here are some of the benefits as identified by UCLA Berkley - Greater Good / The Science of a Meaningful Life:

• Mindfulness is good for our bodies: Just eight weeks of practicing mindfulness meditation boosts our immune system's ability to fight off illness.
• Mindfulness is good for our minds:  Studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions, stress and may be as good as antidepressants in fighting depression and preventing relapse.
• Mindfulness changes our brains: That it increases density of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.
• Mindfulness helps us focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps us avoid and tune out distractions, improves our memory and attention abilities.
• Mindfulness fosters compassion and altruism: Increases our experience and expression of our innate ability for empathy, compassion and lovingkindness toward ourselves and others.
• Mindfulness enhances relationships: Makes couples more satisfied with their relationship, makes each partner feel more optimistic and relaxed, and makes them feel more accepting of and closer to one another.
• Mindfulness helps schools: Teaching mindfulness in the classroom reduces behavior problems and aggression among students, and improves their happiness levels and their ability to pay attention. Teachers trained in mindfulness also show lower blood pressure, less negative emotion and symptoms of depression, and greater compassion and empathy.
• Mindfulness helps health care practitioners cope with stress, connect compassionately with their patients and improve their general quality of life. It also helps mental health professionals by reducing negative emotions and anxiety, and increasing their positive emotions and feelings of self-compassion.
• Mindfulness help prisons: Evidence suggests mindfulness reduces anger, hostility, and mood disturbances among prisoners by increasing their awareness of their thoughts and emotions, helping with their rehabilitation and reintegration.
• Mindfulness helps veterans: Studies suggest it can reduce the symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the aftermath of war.
• Mindfulness Helps with general health and obesity: Practicing “mindful eating” encourages healthier eating habits, helps people lose weight, and helps them savor the food they do eat.

Mindfulness enables us to explore our potential and possibility in the here, now, this. It is a way of releasing the hold of past thoughts and emotional patterns and to consciously explore the infinite potential and possibility of each new now. Try this practice and see how easily and quickly the benefits described above come to you.
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Adapted from: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition

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Connect with me directly for more detailed info on Clive deLaporte Ministries and ministry services. For more info email me at: clivedelaporte@gmail.com 

Clive deLaporte
​Clive deLaporte Ministries
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