What Does It Mean to Practice Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is not a new concept. It has been around for thousands of years and is the foundation of spiritual practices around the world. But what does it really mean to practice mindfulness? Listen to my conversation with Janetti Marotta author of 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem. Simply, when you practice mindfulness, you are being open and accepting of the present moment for what it is.  It means experiencing the rain without wishing it was sunny. Or feeling the heat without wishing for a cool breeze. It’s about enjoying a cool breeze without hoping it lasts forever or being disappointed when it stops. It’s accepting that life can be difficult and owning the awareness that it is our attachment to a thought or feeling that things should be different that creates our individual suffering. The practice of mindfulness is about learning to shift from trying to change what is happening to being with what is happening. When things don’t go the way we want, we resist what is happening. This resistance leads to dissatisfaction, which leads to anger, depression, frustration, fear, and anxiety. When we practice mindfulness, we are present. We are free of judgment, which allows us to turn towards what is occurring and embrace it. The practice of mindfulness is also about being aware and noticing without emotion or judgment our thoughts, feelings and reactions in all circumstance.  Approaching life in this way creates a sense of peace, calm and empowerment, because we are in control of our own experience allowing us to respond to circumstances rather than react to them. In the book 50 Mindful Steps to Self-Esteem, Janetti applies the practice of mindfulnessto help readers quiet the self-criticism and self-judgment that stands between them and a happier life.  She gives every day practices that allow readers to learn to pay attention to their negative thoughts as they occur, face them and choose how they wish to respond. According to Janetti, when you learn to love yourself for who you are, you invite a sense of wholeness into your being. You get rid of a sense of failure, inadequacy, and what is not “right” in your life. Being mindful allows you to say, “yes” to life and enables you to cultivate more self-acceptance and love.