As I walked along the foreshore this morning to my client I was reflecting on what had happened during the past few days with the bush fires.
Over the weekend my life had been thrown around, emotions brought to the top and I have witnessed a variety of reactions. Yes I still have my beautiful house and all my family and animals are safe. I was a lucky one, who in the end didn’t need to evacuate, however I was there assisting many others to get their horses an d animals out before the fire hit their place. The hours rushed past and I had no idea the temperate was up at 46 degrees for most of the time I was out collecting horses.
During the middle of it, a friend called to say she was evacuating and could she locate at our place, ” of course” was my reply. As I hung up the phone my husband messages me to get home NOW, as he feared we needed to evacuate! Great.
As I arrived home, luckily for us, the winds changed and we were safe for the time being.
The following two days were spent helping others, trying to get back to properties, assisting evacuees and generally just being there for friends. The time passed so quickly it made me realize the value of life.
So as I walked along the foreshore of the city this morning on my way to a client, I reflected about whether I am truly being who I want to be. Am I living in the moment, or am I allowing life to rush past at the speed of the fire? Is my client who I am about to see, really living where her passion is? what lessons can I take away from the trauma of the past few days?
I realized that so often, we let the present slip away, allowing time to rush past unobserved and squandering the precious seconds of our lives as we worry about the future and ponder about what’s past. It isn’t just when trauma hits, or events out of the ordinary, it happens when we’re at work, we fantasize about being on holiday; then whilst on holiday, we worry about the work piling up on our desks. We often are never in the moment.
We’re always doing something, and we allow little time to practice stillness and calm. We need to practice mindfulness. Although mindfulness has only recently been embraced by Western psychology, it is an ancient practice found in a wide range of Eastern philosophies, including Buddhism, Taoism and Yoga.
Mindfulness involves consciously bringing awareness to your current experience or present reality, with openness, interest, and receptiveness.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, a world authority on the use of mindfulness training in the management of clinical problems, defines it as: “Paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”
In fact, you’re more productive when you’re mindful; in the office, at home or with friends. Being present is undoubtedly the only way to enjoy life to the fullest. Recent research has shown that the enhancement of mindfulness through training facilitates a variety of well-being outcomes. By being mindful, you enjoy your food more, you enjoy friends and family more, you enjoy anything you’re doing more. Anything. Even things you might think are drudgery or boring, such as housework, can be amazing if you are truly present. Try it; it takes practice, but it’s incredible.
Finally, a clinical intervention study with cancer patients demonstrates that increases in mindfulness over time relate to declines in mood disturbance and stress.
