Mindfulness

“Mindfulness is a conscious bringing of attention to the present moment, nonjudgmentally.”
—Elana Rosenbaum, MS, LICSW.

Mindfulness means staying in the present, staying in the “now”. Through mindfulness practice we increasingly recognize that our thoughts and emotions are not who we are but are rather simply experiences that we have. Further, we realize that our thoughts and emotions do not necessarily reflect objective reality. The greater the degree to which we can have this realization, the more we can free ourselves of the suffering associated with negative thoughts and negative emotions.

Mindfulness practice leads to a more rapid recovery from stress and from negative emotions, builds concentration and leads to greater appreciation and enjoyment of life.

Life is full of all sorts of experiences. It’s our reaction to them that causes peace and joy or suffering. Through mindfulness we can become aware of how our thoughts lead to positive or negative emotions. Mindfulness can help us maintain a calm, balanced center in the midst of agitated and confusing emotions.

Mindfulness-based psychotherapy has been shown to be effective in addressing anxiety, recurrent depression, the negative effects of stress and chronic pain. Mindfulness is a skill that anyone can learn. There are many ways of practicing mindfulness and of using it beneficially.

At Integrated Life Services we teach both formal and informal mindfulness practice. Formal mindfulness practice involves structured, scheduled meditation. Informal mindfulness practice refers to ways that any individual can use mindfulness on a moment to moment basis to manage emotion and stress and increase understanding of how his or her thoughts and emotions operate.