Questions and Answers with Spring:

Q. What is mindfulness?

Answer: Mindfulness is a way of learning to relate directly to whatever is happening in your life. It is a way of taking charge of your Mind. Mindfulness can also be translated as awareness and is a mental quality that we can cultivate through practice. Mindfulness also helps us come to know and understand our minds, body and spirit in a direct and immediate level. It is a way that we can begin to examine our own minds to see how we are creating all the stress we experience. By observing ourselves, we can change a pattern or painful habit instead of being lost in the same drama again and again. Now that’s real power!

Q. What is meditation?

Answer: Meditation is the practice of learning to live in the present moment. Like most people, we are usually lost in the past or planning for the future. We may spend hours upon hours of every day distracted and day dreaming, and never notice that we are doing this! This would not be so bad, except that most of the day dreams are actually repetitive nightmares that play over and over again in a continuous circle. We often live in a state of perpetual worry, fear, anger, sorrow and desperation because we are responding continuously to the stories that are playing in the mind. We may wake up one day feeling great and then the next day, terrible. We may not be aware that we are just reacting to our thoughts and stories. The mind is very powerful! During meditation sessions, we practice living in the present moment, noticing when we lost in the past or the future, and bringing the attention back to the present. When one thought ends right before the next thought begins is a tiny gap called now. Over time we learn to expand that gap and live in the present moment we begin to experience the great peace that was there all along.

Q. How can I learn to meditate?

Answer: The easiest way to begin is by taking a class. Practicing in a group can be very helpful as well as supportive in the beginning. The most common technique for the actual practice is to focus on your breathing. So find a comfortable place to sit with your back straight then gently close the eyes and begin to focus your attention on the rhythm of your breathing. You don’t have to breath in a special way. Just allow your body to relax and then follow the in and out sensations of the breath. Your mind will wander, this is normal. Just gently bring the attention back to your breath when you notice that the mind has wandered. I also like to use beautiful meditation music at times. It can help relax your body and bring you into a calmer space so that you can begin to focus your mind. Try not to have any expectations or exotic ideas about meditation practice; it’s simple yet at times challenging. Begin with just 15 minutes sessions and see how you do. Good luck!

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