What I’ve gained from my Mindfulness Practice

Mindfulness is not for everyone, but for many it’s transformative - and certainly it’s been for me.

Here are just a few key things that I’ve gained from my mindfulness practice:

1. Greater confidence and sense of self:

There is a new unassuming confidence in what I do and what I stand for, which I think is particularly rooted in trust. Trust that I have choice, tools and knowledge to listen to and care for myself whatever happens. Trust that everything will work out just fine. A trust that feels sober and deeply rooted as opposed to blind or naive.

2. More happiness and contentment with life as it is:

More of my happiness is cultivated from within and is therefore less dependent on external circumstances. I find my mind is increasingly inclined to rejoice in what I have as opposed to focusing on what I’m missing out on or having judgments about how things ‘should’ be. There is a sense of being truly present to my life, instead of letting it pass me by.

3. Resilience and steadiness with the ebb and flow of life:

By no means does mindfulness end all problems or difficult emotions. But I find myself less affected by feelings that used to drag me down like stress, worry or anxiety - and they don’t persist as long. One of the first things you might notice when you start your mindfulness practice is this sense of being centred and steady. So when the storms come, you’re more like a grounded mountain than a tumbling leaf.

4. Deeper and more meaningful connections:

I’ve found that one of the most powerful feelings in the world is being moved by our common humanity. The feeling of seeing a vulnerable part of yourself reflected in another, and being that same reassuring reflection back. Meditation and mindfulness taught me about the power of vulnerability and connected me to my whole self without resisting my imperfections, which in turn has opened up the possibility of deeper and more meaningful connections to others.

5. Being deeply moved by life / Sense of Awe

Out of presence arises the possibility of being deeply moved by the beauty of life. This elusive, expansive and spontaneous feeling of being connected to everything around me - the people, the trees, the birds, the water. I don’t have the vocabulary for this experiential state, but I remember reading somewhere that it’s when a part of the brain that creates the self (and therefore a sense of separateness) relaxes, allowing us to feel the true connection and symbiosis with all that is around us.