The thing about meditation is: You become more and more you.” – David Lynch

Despite its tremendously growing popularity, very few of us are actually aware of what meditation is.

Meditation is the practice of concentrating or focusing upon a sound, object, visualization, the breath, movement, or attention itself to increase awareness of the present moment, promote relaxation, reduce stress, and enhance personal and spiritual growth.

While meditation has been in practice in the Eastern countries for thousands of years, it is now gaining wide acceptance in the West.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the inherent ability of human beings to be totally present, be aware of ourselves and our surroundings, while not reacting excessively to the happenings around us. Adopting mindfulness is the key to overcome suffering and enhancing the natural wisdom within us and others.

Ways to Achieve Mindfulness

Here are a few popular ways to achieve mindfulness:

• Being consciously present – Focus on the work or activity at hand with awareness rather than operating unconsciously.
• Engaging in mindfulness exercises – By working on mindfulness exercises you can rebalance your nervous system and engage the brain optimally.
• Avoiding multi-tasking – It is always better to take up one task at a time instead of trying to multi-task. Multi-tasking only results in the brain losing data by switching in between tasks and thereby leads to unproductivity.
• Setting up mindfulness reminders – Instead of operating mechanically, try being mindful at repeated intervals by using some form of a reminder.
• Accepting what you cannot change – Being mindful means accepting the present moment just as it is without thinking about what could have been.

Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation

Mindful meditation is a fantastic way to decrease stress, increase focus, and stimulate your creativity. By taking up mindfulness meditation you can reap several benefits including:

• Reduction in anxiety and fear
• Ability to focus on the positive aspects of your life
• Better physical health
• Strengthening of cognitive skills

Though we lead extremely busy lives with seemingly little time for relaxation, by regularly practicing mindfulness meditation for a few minutes you can experience a deep calm and tranquility no matter whatever be the circumstances.