Imagine having your morning shower. Work’s to-do list is in your head as well as the lecture for the upcoming meeting and the thought about not having reserved the table in the Italian restaurant yet. Thoughts are going round in circles. This is what actually happens under the shower: Drops of water spatter funny rhythms on the head and in the shower tray. The shampoo foams, tingles on the scalp and smells irresistibly of lemongrass. Then comes the sea-buckthorn fragrance from the shower gel, which makes the skin so soft. Showering is a real experience for the senses we should enjoy in the very moment. And we can devote our full attention to the ToDo list later.

Being mindful means living the moment. To perceive what happens while it is happening – consciously and without actually having thoughts wander to other events. This makes you more satisfied, more balanced and it reduces stress. Scientific studies confirm that.

Jon Kabat-Zinn is considered a pioneer of holistic medicine. He defines mindfulness as …

“… the awareness that arises through paying attention on purpose in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

More about mindfulness:
www.mindfulnessassociation.net

Recommended reading:
Mindfulness for Beginners
Jon Kabat-Zinn
Soundstrue Inc, 2016