Practicing Mindfulness

Originally derived from the Buddhist tradition, but increasingly applied to a wide spectrum of Western modalities for mental and physical well-being, mindfulness is the practice of bringing your awareness to what is emerging in the present moment. This refers to what is occurring for us internally (our thoughts, feelings, and beliefs) and externally (the environment around us) from moment to moment. It is a radical wake-up call to become conscious of all parts of ourselves, bringing to awareness the unconscious behaviors, thoughts, and beliefs that have been running us.

Developing “mindful awareness” allows us to improve our life at all levels. This gives us a fresh perspective from which we can non-judgmentally witness whatever is arising for us in the present, internally and externally, from a place of curiosity and openness. When we encounter the present with new eyes, we are less likely to identify with unconscious feelings and beliefs. This opens the door to new perspectives. The more mindful we are, either by nature or by practice, several benefits will result:

• We are less reactive to thoughts and feelings as they occur.
• We notice, observe, and attend to our sensations and perceptions.
• We make better decisions when we are self aware.
• We increase our ability to communicate calmly.
• We become increasingly non-judgmental.

With enough practice, mindfulness can become a trait of being, rather than just a transient state of mind as it is when we first begin to practice. This will profoundly affect the functioning of our body and brain, our thoughts and feelings, and our relationship with ourselves and others.


Simple Steps for Developing Mindful Awareness

If you are a newcomer mindfulness practice, taking a kind attitude toward yourself is an important part of the process. For many of us, our minds are used to running very quickly in many directions, so it will take some time for the capacity for focus to emerge. As you approach your practice each day, coming to it with an open state of mind, without expectations about how it will go relieves the additional tension that comes with pre-judging the experience.

Here’s a traditional, meditation exercise to help develop mindful awareness:

• Sit down in a room where you won’t be disturbed.
• Close your eyes and focus your attention on your breathing.
• Become aware of yourself inhaling and exhaling.
• If you become distracted from your breath just regain your focus.
• Practice until you’ve developed the ability to sustain focus on your breath for a period of time.
• Continue to focus on your breath and expand to allow thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and bodily sensations to enter your awareness, receiving all experience with an attitude of openness.

Developing mindful awareness isn’t just limited to meditation exercises like this. Mindfulness and tapping into daily self awareness can be beneficial in many ways to your personal and professional life. Any activity can be an opportunity to focus on staying in the present moment while allowing the richness of experience to change the way we perceive and behave.


Making Mindfulness a Way of Living

Managing our life in a productive way requires making mindfulness a way of living, as we remain aware of our bodies, feelings, and beliefs from moment to moment. When we live from a mindful place new possibilities, perceptions and solutions will emerge reclaiming the full power of who we are. The challenges and conflicts that once overwhelmed us and ran our lives no longer threaten us. Our mindset changes and we’re able to give ourselves the space to enter the fullness of the present moment, the source of our calmness, creativity, and inspiration. This is true freedom.


Mindfulness in Organizations

In the U.S. business world, many companies are providing training programs in mindfulness. Some of these companies include Procter & Gamble, Monsanto, General Mills, Comcast, BASF Bioresearch, Bose, New Balance, and Nortel Networks. A professional-development program “Mindfulness at Monsanto” was started at Monsanto Corporation by its CEO, Robert Shapiro. Another corporation Sounds True, an audio recordings company has mindfulness as a core value recognizing the importance of silence, inward attention, active listening and being centered. Sounds True begins its all-company meetings with a minute of silence and maintains a meditation room on-site for employees to utilize throughout the day.

Also, Harvard Law School’s Program on Negotiation hosted a workshop on Mindfulness.  Police officers in Los Angeles and in Madison, Wisconsin, have received mindfulness training. Mindfulness has been taught in prisons, reducing hostility and mood disturbance among inmates, and improving their self esteem. There are over 240 mindfulness programs in hospitals and clinics throughout the U. S. Many government organizations offer mindfulness training, including the Army. In 2000, The Inner Kids Program, a mindfulness-based program developed for children, was introduced into public and private school curricula in the greater Los Angeles area.

Learn to live in the moment to achieve your full potential! Work with a Business and Life Management Coach with over 20 years experience empowering individuals, executives and business owners to attain self-defined success in their professional and personal lives. Book a complimentary session please visit http://www.denisedema.com/

Discover Your Passions!

Your passion is that one thing which sets you free from the clutches of boredom, misery and aimlessness, while giving a purpose to your life bringing out the best in you. When you find your passion, it is like discovering a gold mine that had always been buried in your backyard. You do not follow your passion for money, fame or any other materialistic gains but because it makes your soul happy. It is as simple as that. It is pure love for what you do.

We all want to embrace our passions but we lose sight of it when social conformism kicks in. We stop believing in our passion in life when we listen less of the voice from within and more from those outside voices that tell us what to do! Most people find their passion early in life but are made to ignore it because it doesn't bring in money or because it doesn't conform to the plans that their parents had for them. Peer pressure kicks in and we ignore what we love for what brings us appreciation, acceptance and security. We become 'practical' and tread the beaten paths, while ignoring that one thing which makes us feel truly alive!

Leading a fulfilling life - a life you love and feel great about - is a matter of knowing how to put the pieces of your life together in a way that empowers you. Your best life starts with regaining CLARITY.

You create a fulfilling life by creatively capitalizing on your talents, passions and values. Self-knowledge is empowering. Once you have the ability to articulate your gifts you gain the power to actively use them, or leverage them, in your life. The more you know about yourself the more power you have to create the life you most want. The more you understand, the more you have to work with.

Why is it important to discover your passions? Well, think of it this way. What do you think of when you think of "passion"? Probably something exciting, enticing and fun! Another way to say it is passion = energy. Energy that feels good! Creating your best life takes energy. Your passions will give you the energy to do the work you need to do to create the life you most want. That's because what we are passionate about is what we care deeply about. Doing things we are most passionate about honors our spirit and brings joy to our lives.

If you're struggling in your life or career today it could be you're not involved in anything you feel passionate about. You may not care deeply enough about the things you're doing to give it your all or you may not have enough self-knowledge to bring your best to everyday life.

The following questions are meant to assist you in discovering your passions. Be as descriptive as you'd like.

1. What do you most enjoy doing for others?

2. What makes you truly happy?

3. What subject can you talk about for hours?

4. What are you most often complimented on?

5. What do you do where you lose all track of time?

6. What do the people closest to you say you are good at?

7. What ideas, things, places and/or people are you most inspired by?

8. What life experiences gave you the greatest sense of fulfillment and growth?

Once you discover your passions it turns on your power! Understanding what you're most passionate about and being able to articulate your passions will allow you to begin organizing your life with them in it. When you implement into your life the activities that really energize and excite you, it allows you to leverage the best of who you are to create a life you love. That not only leads to a life that works well, it leads to a life that feels great from the inside out!

It’s time to get started on achieving your full potential and incorporating your passions into your life. Work with a Business and Life Management Coach with over 20 years experience empowering people to attain self-defined success in their professional & personal lives. Book a complimentary session at http://www.denisedema.com