What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practise of developing a focused awareness of the present moment with kindness and compassion. It is paying extraordinary attention to the ordinary. It is about using all of our senses to live moment-to-moment with awareness. It moves us from a state of "doing" to a state of mere "being".

Mindfulness is something we all have inside of us already, the classes and coaching merely assist with practising the skill, like a muscle the more often we practise the stronger it gets. Often times we find ourselves stuck inside our heads, worrying about the past or planning ahead for the future. This makes us feel disconnected from ourselves and the world around us.

In mindfulness we make a conscious effort to train our mind to come back to the present moment, while acknowledging that it is the nature of the mind to wonder. There is a big emphasis on being kind to ourselves in this process. And not to judge as our mind wonders elsewhere. It is also important to keep it playful, not taking life or the mindfulness process too seriously, so having fun, be curious while we adventure within ourselves!

Children are naturally mindful, we can learn so much from them being present in the moment. When explaining mindfulness to children, we often use the analogy of a pause button. Most children know what a pause button is and how to use it. Mindfulness is like the pause button on life. It helps us to pause and take notice of all that is around us and inside of us.