WE ROAR Magazine Issue 01 - Magazine - Page 46
The Mindfulness Rebel
Hello friends!
Mindfulness.... wait, stop, don't turn away.
You might have just rolled your eyes because you
see mindfulness and meditation talked about so
much, but you feel it is impossible. You cannot
empty your mind, sit crossed-legged, or find a
mountaintop enveloped by rainbows to sit on and
calmly contemplate the world. I get it.
I am a mindfulness teacher, and I
have ADHD. I work in organisations,
colleges and schools, including
special educational needs schools,
and I volunteer for my local mental
health charity.
My experience, both my personal
experience and those I work with,
has helped me have a real passion
for making mindfulness (which
changed my life) more inclusive and
accessible.
So today, I want to bust some myths
and get you started on changing
your mind about mindfulness.
1) It is not about emptying your
mind. This is BS because having a
silent mind is near impossible.
It is more appropriate to explain it as
being about our relationship with our
thoughts and, yes, possibly.
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Slowing them down is about more
than getting rid of them completely.
2) Mindfulness is not just meditation.
Mindfulness includes meditation
(what we call a formal practice), but
it is also about how we can be more
mindful and present every day.
3) You are allowed to find what
works for you. A one size fits all
approach doesn't work; we must see
what clicks for us.
4) Start small. From this moment
forward, try and see what it is like to
pay attention to what you often do
on autopilot, like brushing your teeth,
showering, and eating. Or even try
putting your phone down when you
are a passenger in a car or train or
are sitting somewhere waiting.
