What does mindfulness mean?

What is mindfulness?

What does mindfulness do?

The way I’d put it simply is being present. To be mindful is to be aware. To be present. Am some people think mindfulness is the same as meditation. Meditation is focus and stillness and is really a different ballgame. It’s got some similarities though. They’re both being present. Being aware. Just being. Just living.

When I’m mindful, aware of what is at this moment, I’m going to be living with my primary experiences, rather than secondary, tertiary or can’t remember what Greg told me. He told me quadary experience – whatever the right word is.

I’ve gone off on a tangent.

I find mindfulness to be grounding. Because I’m doing this course and trying to choose something to be mindful with, and of course I didn’t choose my daily activity because in the same way I’m rambling here and probably making you dizzy with the spinning and jumping and run on ness why would I think of one specific activity and as if I’d even remember during that one activity and then I’d anyways have to choose a different one so I’m doing that now as it is and don’t worry I’ll repeat this…

Mindfulness. Being present. If you read my trigger warning post – I’m intentionally not linking – you’ll understand what I mean. I’m grounding myself a lot. Focusing on where exactly my body is in space and time. Being aware of myself in my body. Being aware of my body in the world. Tuning into it. Tuning into what is going on. Like the sound of the cars and the annoying squeak of the light.

I’m finding it grounding. Because I’m trying to tune in. I’m intentionally tuning in often. Which i definitely think is a good thing.

It’s quite funny to write this, how taking the course is helping me, because we’re meant to listen to a guided mindfulness (which is guided imagery, or guided presentness) once a day. Being that I’m listening to the body scans in bed I try listen to another one during the day too. Anyways, I find it really hard to focus. I’m distracted the entire time. It takes till the end of the recording for me to actually be focusing on it.

I guess I’m saying that in some ways I’m not doing this being mindful well at all. And yet I am. So I’m not able to focus through the recordings… I focus for a few seconds at a time if you’re lucky. And I’m grounding myself lots. And lots. Which I definitely need at the moment….

I didn’t plan on writing this about me. Just about how mindfulness can be grounding and can be used as a tool to remember to be aware of where one is in space and time. To tune into the reality and help one be present. But this is what is 🙂

I’d definitely recommend mindfulness. But if you do a course research it. I did one through other places which were a waste of time. MBSR is a great one. You can do it for free online at Palouse MBSR Course. I wouldn’t have the motivation. You can google it. If you’re in England a lot of MIND charities offer it subsidised or for free. I’ve seen some great and some nonsense books. I like the first page of Mind Calm.

Love, light and glitter.

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43 thoughts on “MBSR (3) – Mindfulness and grounding”

  1. People that suffer with ptsd ,, columns and military have to “ground ” themselves, touch an item or be with someone to keep them in the present. Also those with strong gifted abilities get concentrating on non physical purposes. Welcome back to the earth.

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  5. Glad you pointed out the difference between mindfulness and meditation. It’s a point I’ve tried to explain but others seem unwilling to listen thinking they are the same thing which they definitely are not!

    grounding and mindfulness will help heaps … and if you can’t focus the first time why not listen to it a second time? Well done!

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    1. In this course they seem to think it’s the same thing… maybe not. Last time they said it was and they didn’t seem to understand me. Thing is, it’s what they were taught…. they’re really different things.
      Yeah, I’ve been listening to at least 2 a day. Never really concentrating but even so, it’s trying to focus, even if I can’t, I guess the trying to is good, and it’s definitely helping me remember to ground myself more…

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  6. nice job with this!
    it was super super interesting- a concise and informative piece.
    keep shining!
    love always,
    [gotw}

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  10. I’ve never done any meditation before. But sometimes, I need mindless tasks to empty my mind of thoughts 😉 I find that to be more … let’s say, purging, and it helps me focus better at something else later.

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  12. This is awesome! Here’s something I’ve learned in studying mindfulness: Don’t judge yourself when your mind wanders. When you notice, just gently bring your attention back to the present. It doesn’t matter how many times. Every time you notice, and every time you bring your attention back, you strengthen your overall ability to do this. It’s practice. My mind still wanders, especially when I’m driving which is something I need to keep working on. Thanks for the reminder!

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    1. 🙂
      That’s one of the nicest things about this course. The scripts they follow. Don’t judge yourself. If your mind wanders, as minds inevitably do, just bring it back to (xyz), gently, just as much as you can, as much as you’re able, right here, right now. Something like that. I’m sure I’ve not got the words verbatim but along those lines in each practice (when on zoom) or recording – all the recordings.

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  13. It’s lovely how you explain mindfulness or how your instructor does!
    and it’s awesome that it’s helping you. maybe the word is quaternary-at least that’s how we learnt it in geography. Then, if my knowledge serves it’s quinary, senary, septenary and so on. I have no idea why I’m going on and on!

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    1. It’s my explanation not theirs. They’ve never really explained it. I should share these posts with them.
      Thanks!!! I hope I remember the terms. Never learnt it in school. Or I wasn’t in that class (I wasn’t in most I didn’t care for to be honest).

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        1. It’s awesome that you know things! I wish I knew as much as you. I think you and GOTW have a lot to teach me. Can’t figure if it’s possible to tag people.

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          1. Your blog teaches me quite a lot. Maybe not content in the conventional sense but I think you get my point.
            You do know a lot in your own right, means a lot though-thanks 🙂
            I don’t think wordpress has a tagging feature.

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            1. I’m glad. Nope, not in a conventional sense, and as long as you steer clear of the trigger warninged stuff that could teach anything I don’t want to, that’s okay…

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  17. Nice post! I like what you said about mindfulness grounding you. I think I spoke about a similar thing on my blog today – I was talking about mindful reading, and how this helped snap me into the present moment, rather than being wrapped up in my head…
    I like how you write in such short, snappy sentences sometimes. It really helps with the mindful reading of your posts, and I think it really embodies what you talk about.
    Thanks! ❤

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    1. Thanks! I write such a mixture of long rambling sentences, and short ones. No clue why 🙂
      Thanks for passing by and taking the time to read and reply…
      I’m super grateful for how grounding it is …
      I’d love to read your blog sometime when I’ve headspace 💕
      Sending sunshine and sparkles

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