If you don’t have prior experience with mindfulness meditation, please see the “Cautions” section below and talk to your healthcare provider if you are experiencing any of the conditions listed.
Why is it important to practice mindfulness?
Imagine you are learning to play the acoustic guitar. The first time you sit down to practice, would you expect to be able to effortlessly play your favorite song? Of course not! Learning to play your favorite song on the guitar would take lots of practice. Mindfulness, like music, requires regular practice so you can develop greater levels of skill.
Similarly, if you want to learn to play classical guitar music, then you’ll practice in a particular way, such as working on scales or practicing timing. If you wanted to play pop songs, then you’d practice in a different way, perhaps working more on memorizing chords and finger positioning. Mindfulness, like different genres of music, has many different methods, there is no one “right way” to practice.
The more you formally practice mindfulness, the more you will begin to experience moments of presence throughout your day. A new mode of “being” becomes accessible to you so that even in the midst of a whirlwind of activity, you can still act from a place of greater presence and balance.