WHAT IS MINDFULNESS AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Mindfulness has become such a buzzword nowadays that it can be easy to dismiss it as just another fad; or to think, ‘Yeah, I took that workshop last year, so I know how to be mindful.’
But knowing how to be mindful and actually being mindful are 2 very different things!
This is a very important distinction to make because BEING mindful can change everything.
In some ways the word itself is misleading in its simplicity as ‘mindfulness’, at least in my understanding and practice, encompasses something much more vast than what can be contained in the mind.
Mindfulness is also much more than just a practice. It becomes a way of life that embraces and cultivates the following qualities:
Heartfulness–In some languages there is not a separate word for heart and mind. They are one and the same. When we practice mindfulness, we also learn to connect with the intelligence and life-force of the heart, to value that knowing and to allow it to inform our moments.
The electromagnetic field around the heart is 60 times greater than the electromagnetic field around the brain, connecting more deeply to the heart can result in moving through life with more synchronicity and ease. You can read more about the science behind this here.
Embodiment– I’m sorry to say that we’ve become seriously disembodied as a culture. Just look at how we’re trained as kids. We ae encouraged to spend most of the time in our brains, and we squeeze movement in around the edges (if we’re lucky).
This disconnection from our own physical selves prevents us from ever knowing what we’re fully capable of as embodied beings, disconnects us from the intelligence of the body in terms of what it needs for fuel and rest, and contributes to the disease burden that many of us face.
Most mindfulness programs emphasize the body scan practice which invites a deeper mind-body connection.
Becoming more embodied, and therefore more integrated and whole, is a priceless gift and one that a regular mindfulness practice will give you.
Presence– We can only ever be happy, thrive, appreciate, be embodied, make wise decisions, love and connect in the PRESENT MOMENT. Most of us have a lot of practice looking backwards (regretting, ruminating, etc.) or jumping ahead (planning, worrying, wandering) and what we practice we get good at.
All the jumping ahead and looking back inhibits creativity and happiness, creates more stress for ourselves and prevents us from reaching our full potential in body and mind. This Harvard University study of 2250 people from 83 countries entitled “A wandering mind is an unhappy mind” Illustrates the point beautifully.
The more we practice being present, the better we get at it and the more natural it becomes. Over time, this can even become the default state.
I invite to you see what magic can happen from this place. Magic can only happen NOW. If you’re wandering off someplace else, you’ll miss it. Mindfulness can teach you to stay ‘home’; firmly grounded in the heart, the body, and the myriad of beautiful possibilities available to us in each and every moment.
I’ve been practicing for almost 17 years, and I am continually amazed at the layers that can be shed to get closer and closer to who I really am. I can’t think of a more fun adventure to be on.
I want to share this adventure with you!
MAKE IT REAL IN YOUR LIFE
- If this idea of inner exploration appeals to you…
- If you’re curious about what might be inhibiting you from reaching your full potential…
- If you’re ready cut through all the noise and distraction and make time and space to get to know the real YOU…
Please consider joining me for the upcoming Mindfulness Teacher Training, held virtually (so you can join from anyplace) and in partnership with All That Matters Yoga and Holistic Health Center.
This journey will be first and foremost about deepening and strengthening your own practice, but you’ll also be able to share with others at the end of the training, if that appeals to you. I would say about 50% of the participants in the last training took the course to deepen their own practice and be in community, not to be a mindfulness teacher.
We will be together for 10 weeks so you will have the encouragement and steady support to learn to ride the waves of the chaotic culture with grace, ease and centeredness.
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING
“I’ve been searching for so long, and I’ve had the answers inside me all along!”~MTT participant
“I just want to thank you again for leading us through an amazing experience these last couple of months. The retreat on the weekend was the perfecting culminating event. I am still feeling the effects of the way we ended! It was simply magical!” ~MTT Participant
“I thoroughly enjoyed your insight and wisdom and learned a great deal about myself. I found all the material extremely helpful and even made myself a binder to keep for future reference! I especially enjoyed the loving kindness meditations and mindful eating!” ~MTT Participant
“I wasn’t just taking (MTT) to be enriched by teaching others. I knew I was taking it to also deepen my own experience. Erin was so patient and nonjudgmental – allowing me to begin my journey when I was awake enough to be ready to experience it fully.
The online format was perfect. I would have missed three of the classes if that wasn’t the case. Instead, my classes were not interrupted because of work – or vacation. I was able to have the experience in multiple venues – giving me the chance to integrate it even more fully into every aspect of my life.
Initially I was concerned the online format would not create the sense of community I wanted from this course. That could not have been further from the truth. The ability to attend the classes no matter what was going on in my life, allowed me to be fully present and develop stronger relationships with the other students. I have friendships that have lasted long after the classes ended from this wonderful group of like-minded individuals.
One could never read the length of the description of the outcomes I have received from this course. While it sounds incredibly trite, this class truly changed my life. I’ve been fortunate to have both good and bad experiences that have allowed me to become the person I am today. Before taking this course, however, I never realized it.
It was all there in front of me – like a newly opened box of jigsaw puzzle pieces.
Erin not only showed me the tips and tactics to finding a way to get the pieces to fit together, she gave me the permission and courage to finish it at whatever time felt right for me and in any pattern I saw in my mind’s eye.
My surprise: I am an attorney, trained in a linear methodology and driven by reaching goals. While this class allowed me to experience life on a deeper level, it also made me realize how much I have missed along the way. Fortunately, before it was too late to enjoy my new approach to life.
I’ve practiced yoga for decades and made the faulty assumption this would be a nice ‘add on’ to something that had enriched my life for many years. Instead, for me, this course gave me a new life lens that now yoga continues to deepen. I never imagined anything could have been more powerful for me than yoga. I am very fortunate to have found it – and passionate about sharing it with others.
While you will take it to share the practice with others, you can’t help but be strengthened by the inspiration and guidance Erin brings to each class.” ~P.M., attorney
If you need a reminder of the scientifically proven health benefits of mindfulness practice for mind, body and brain, click here.
If you’re still reading, and this adventure is calling to you in some way, please join us!! You won’t regret being more present and connecting with yourself more deeply. Come home to yourself. Click here to learn more and to register.
💜 Much love,
Erin
