“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally”
—Jon Kabit-Zin
Why Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something. Simply put, being present in the current moment. Being able to be present allows one to be more engaged with your emotions, observe your thoughts, learn to pause before decisions, reduce feelings of being overwhelmed, be less reactive, and much more. Teaching skills to help clients grow in their ability to stay present is one of my favorite interventions. Especially, as it has been shown to be extremely beneficial towards helping anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.
What about Meditation?
A great way to talk define meditation is the practice of mindfulness. Often, it's overcomplicated by people trying to meditate without guideance and leads them to stop, missing out on the great benefits of meditation. A great way to get started with meditation is to just sit and focus on your breath, when you get distracted (because you will), you just go back to focus on your breath. It's a simple as that. I work with clients to practice that and grow their meditation skills to aid them in various areas of their lives.