Why Mindfulness?

Mindfulness means living with awareness in the present moment. Sound simple?

I can truthfully say that mindfulness is the hardest skill I have ever practiced, but the MOST essential for me. It has reduced my anxiety and fear and changed my approach to life.

Mindfulness skills are specific behaviors we practice which help us be Mindful.

This workshop coming up in February teaches you to wake up from automatic or rote behaviors, to participate and be present in your ‘one precious life”. You learn how to catch the tendency to ignore the present moment and cling to the past or grab for the future, which is when the Anxious Mind takes over. Then you are on the Hamster wheel where you cannot stop the thoughts, or sleep well, or really enjoy what you are experiencing RIGHT NOW.

Mindfulness can be practiced at any time, anywhere while doing anything. Intentionally paying attention to the moment without judging or holding on to it, is all that is needed.

Practical Reasons to practice Mindfulness   

• Increases your Mental Health and balance (enhancing flexibility and adaptability in your brain)
• Calms the Limbic system where reactivity to” flight or fight” is located. The Alpha Waves which monitor the state of the body can then be more balanced.
• Helps regulate the Front Brain (which takes things in and processes them) and the Limbic system.
• Slows down your “doing” activity and makes a balance between “doing and being”.” This culture emphasizes “doing” at the expense of “being”.
• Helps train focusing attention on the Present Moment, to be able to concentrate on the task or environment at hand. Otherwise, you get distracted by the surge of thoughts that are continuous.
• Helps you to be more effective in the world and to tolerate the inevitable ups and downs of life, especially when you can’t change things.
• It is practicing Feeling Awareness, so you learn to tolerate your emotions, yourselves and others. It is the opposite of being judgmental. You can feel more compassionate and accepting.
• Can lower pain levels and blood pressure, and support the immune system.
• Can increase your sense of INTERBEING (a broader understanding, acceptance, and sense of compassion for ourselves and others and our human situation).

In these four evenings of training, I introduce you to the six main skills of Mindfulness, experiences to practice how to use these, and different more formal practices like meditation that can be used to develop consistent skills for the rest of your life. This may be the most important investment you can make for yourself in the New Year.

WHEN:  the four Wednesday evenings in February, 6, 13, 20, 27th  from 6.30pm to 8pm

               WHERE:  North Vista Medical Center offices, suite 201, 275 South Main St, Longmont

                COST: $45 per session, ($180 total), EARLY BIRD SPECIAL ENDS JANUARY 23- $165)

Email me at jilba@lifemovescounseling.com or call me 303-588-6017 to sign up or for questions