Mindfulness is the conscious practice of paying attention, non-judgmentally, to what is happening in the present moment; it involves simple observation and being – as opposed to doing and reacting. The key is acceptance – acceptance of what is. As opposed to what we think is. Mindfulness is a great tool for self-development, insight and healing.

Though grounded in the Buddhist tradition (in which it is used to understand the origins and cessation of suffering), it is neither esoteric nor religious. It is a universally recognised practice that is accessible to everyone.

Our perception of life is often clouded by murky thinking. Negative beliefs and preoccupations veil our mind and distort our perception of reality.

 

We don’t see things as they are; we see them as we are

anais-nin

This distortion can give rise to numerous disorders: depression, anxiety and phobias to name but a few.  The practice of mindfulness removes our awareness from our distorted thought stream and places it into sensory experience; thereby, putting the world back into perspective by removing the source of our maladies. When we are totally immersed in present-moment, sensory experience all our thoughts pale into insignificance and we are truly FREE.