So why the different terminology?
Even thought mindfulness and meditation are similar and overlapping in many aspects, yet they are separate practices
Common ground for both practices:
- Have roots in yoga wisdom tradition
- Access inner peace, which is already inside of you
- Rely on the ability to be focused entirely on the present moment
- Offer a way to increase happiness and decrease suffering
Meditation: Awareness of Inner Life in You
MEDITATION 9-1-1 is a new class for fall, 2018. It will offer awareness of your inner life in you. Meditation is the formal practice of finding peace within. Awareness of peace is achieved when mental chatter is decreased.
There are many different types of meditation to choose from, including guided meditation and focused meditation on an object (for example, a mantra/sound, image, candle flame, or the breath). They can all lead to the same place of inner peace.
While meditating, we are mindful of our thoughts from the viewpoint of observer, without clinging to the thoughts themselves. Our thoughts float by like clouds, while we learn something about our inner selves. We can see how negative our thinking can be, or how much time we waste dwelling on the past.
This is crucial information for those interested in personal growth and transformation. Self-knowledge is the first step to self-improvement. Making changes in your outer circumstances begins first with seeing which thoughts created that which you are trying to change.
How does it work?
Witnessing the types of thoughts that flow by while meditating, without attaching to them, will quiet the mental chatter that Buddhists call “the monkey mind.” When we give the mind something to focus on—like a guided meditation, the breath, or a mantra—we become aware of an inner world of stillness, love, and peace.
In addition to being the perfect way to let go of accumulated stress, meditation has many health benefits, including strengthened brain function, increased physical vitality, and better sleep. Insomniacs have found that sometimes all they needed was a way to slow down the constant activity of the brain. Even our immune system is strengthened from daily moments of the deep restful wakefulness that meditation offers.
Fall Yoga: MEDITATION 9-1-1
MEDITATION is an ancient, scientific, non-religious practice that trains your mind to become positive, peaceful, stress-free and powerful. Using a simple body flow technique, sound and focused breath you can build the brain and mind you want. If you are ready to commit to daily repetition, learning by doing and reflecting on your journey, this class will guide your way. EVERYONE IS WELCOME. Previous yoga experience with Veronika is beneficial but not required.
Friday, Sept. 7, 2018 @ 10:45 AM
Call 250 656 7055
Mindfulness: Awareness of Your Outer Life
It’s a way of being actively aware of what you’re doing while you’re doing it. Try focusing completely on the full experience of a usually “mindless” chore such as washing dishes. Be aware of the temperature of the water and how it makes your skin feel, along with the texture and smell of the soap. Engage all five senses and see if you are actually more relaxed and less stressed when it is all finished.
In his book Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabat-Zinn says that “When unawareness dominates the mind, all our decisions and actions are affected.” How often have you walked or driven somewhere, only to wonder how you got there because your mind went on autopilot, checking into the past or the future (both of which you have no control over)? In fact, most of the things we do throughout the day are done without full awareness: eating meals without fully tasting the food, showering without noticing the feeling of the water.
How many sunsets and smiles have you missed because you felt compelled to check your phone? Society’s obsession with multitasking often leads us to do too much at once, without focusing fully on each stage of the experience.
Living mindfully means that we experience life with a “beginner’s mind.” This means listening to someone with full attention to their words, voice, and feelings—listening as though it were the first time you ever met this person or heard them speak, without second guessing, judging, or waiting for it to be your turn to talk.
In his book True Love, Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh tells us that “Listening is an art we must cultivate.” He teaches deep, compassionate listening as a mindfulness practice, both for enlightenment and to ease pain and suffering.
When practicing mindfulness
Being fully aware and engaged in an activity can make a situation less stressful because it initiates a perspective free of judgment. When practicing mindfulness, the mind isn’t guessing at the future or creating a mountain out of what is actually a small hill. If we can let go of our controlling ways—consciously observing what is without labeling it or placing an opinion on it—we can be free of the stress of expectations, regrets, and fears in order to fully accept each moment and all that it offers.
Benefits of Mindfulness Living
- Improves our relationships because listening with patience, trust, acceptance, and an open mind strengthens our ability to communicate.
- Compassionate communication coupled with more conscious control over our emotions can be monumental to personal growth and relationships.
- Mindfully responding to stress, instead of reacting habitually, is what Kabot-Zinn calls the “mindfulness-mediated stress response.”
- Everyday arguments don’t trigger us in the same knee-jerk way when we’re practicing mindfulness.
- When our buttons are pushed, our reaction time is slower, thanks to a thoughtful presence in the present.
- We don’t take things as personally when we are aware of someone else’s suffering and deeper needs. Life becomes less superficial and more compassionate.
Fall Yoga: THERAPEUTIC YIN & MINDFULNESS
In this “therapeutic YOGA” class participants will hold postures for 3-5 min, using many props and with a guided meditation at the end. Doing so will bring the ultimate enhancement to your body/ mind flexibility, intuitiveness and overall healing.
Sunday, Sept. 9, 2018 @ 9:00 AM
Call 250 656 7055
Practicing mindfulness and meditation goes hand in hand with creating a happy life—no matter what class you choose to practice. See you in my classes!
Posted by Veronika Prielozna, RYT500, MA
Source: Article written by Kathryn Remati
YOGA and TRAVEL 