Mindfulness means paying attention to what is presently occurring, with kindness and curiosity.
Take notice, me aro tonu.
Take some time to learn more about what your body is telling you. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and exhausted – pause, breath in, breath out.
Take notice of your surroundings – the pohutukawa flowers changing, the night sky, or go somewhere you’ve always been meaning to visit in your local area.
Maybe even try some mindfulness.
From https://mindfulaotearoa.nz
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? Mindfulness means paying attention to what is presently occurring, with kindness and curiosity.
Who is mindfulness good for?
Everyone! We can all be mindful: children, teens, adults, young and old can all benefit from being mindful and from learning mindfulness practice.
The beauty of mindfulness is that it can be done anywhere. With practise, you can overcome many of the things that hold you back from feeling in tune with yourself and your environment.
Mindfulness can be practised in person with a tutor or through online courses. In New Zealand you can take part in our mindfulness programmes at school and in the workplace.
What are the benefits of mindfulness?
Decreases symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Decreases the production of the stress hormone, cortisol.
Improves concentration and the ability to learn.
Increases resilience.
Increases calmness.
Enhances self-awareness.
Helps with conflict resolution and the development of positive relationships.
Increases wellbeing.
Examples of what you can do every day
Stop for a while and take 10 mindful breaths in and out, calming the body and mind, then simply rest where you are noticing everything that is going on around you.
Have a mirimiri (massage) to sooth and relax your body and enhance your wairua (spirit). Taking care of the body and wairua are essential to the practise of mindfulness.
Take the opportunity to sit quietly in a busy place, like an airport or a mall, and notice the interactions between people.
Take the time to give a special thank you to people who support you every day.
Discover the name of the of the iwi, hapu, maunga (mountain) and awa (river) of the place you live.
Adapted from 10 Mindful Ways to use Social Media by Lori Deschene.
