5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Mindfulness Meditation

5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Mindfulness Meditation

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Mindfulness meditation has been proven to help people cope with stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. It also helps improve sleep quality and reduce pain. Mindfulness meditation is an ancient practice that involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. It’s often practiced in groups and is known to help people cope with life’s stresses.



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Source: Calm

5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Mindfulness Meditation

You don’t have to sit cross-legged or wear robes.

There are different forms of mindfulness meditation, such as sitting, walking, eating, breathing, and body scanning. Each form has its benefits, so choose one that works best for you.

You don’t need to spend hours every day meditating.

If you’re new to mindfulness meditation, start by doing just 5 minutes a day. This will allow you to learn how to focus your attention and calm your mind. Over time, you can work up to longer periods.

You don’t have anything to lose by trying it out.

There’s no reason not to try it out. There are plenty of reasons why you should! Here are some benefits of practicing mindfulness meditation:

1) It reduces stress levels

2) It improves sleep quality

3) It reduces pain

4) It boosts creativity

5) It makes you more patient

6) It helps you manage emotions better

7) It helps you deal with difficult situations better

8) It helps you live a happier life

9) It helps you become more mindful

10) It helps you develop compassion

You won’t become an enlightened being.

If you’re looking for enlightenment, then you’ll probably need to wait until after you die. That’s because enlightenment isn’t something that happens overnight. Instead, it’s a gradual process that takes years to complete.

You won’t have any special powers after practicing mindfulness meditation.

There are no magical benefits to mindfulness meditation. There are some downsides. For instance, mindfulness meditation requires discipline and focus. This means that you won’t be able to do anything else while meditating.

Source: Sharp HealthCare

Mindfulness Meditation Sayings to Inspire You

If you’re struggling to live in the present moment, these ten mindfulness meditation quotes from spiritual leaders will inspire you to stay grounded.

1. “Wherever you are, be there totally.” Eckhart Tolle

German-born Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author and one of the most-quoted people when it comes to mindfulness.

This quote sums up the essence of mindfulness: being completely in the moment of where you are. Firstly, it works in a mental or emotional setting: whatever your mood or feeling, acknowledge it and accept that that’s how it is at the moment. Don’t force changes (it will pass eventually).

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This mindfulness quote applies to your physical location or situation too. For example, you may be unhappy with your living situation at the moment, but simply accepting your situation and not judging it can help. Everything will change. Likewise, in a more positive sense, if you’re enjoying a walk by the seaside or practicing some forest bathing, really be there: soak up the sights, sounds, and smells of everything around you. Give life your undivided attention.

2. “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

This mindfulness quote from Jon Kabat-Zinn has to be one of our most-loved – and most repeated! Kabat-Zinn is widely recognized as being the father of mindfulness in the Western world. He’s also the creator of the original Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course.

This well-known quote from him sums up how to deal with life’s ups and downs rather nicely. The waves represent life’s many – and unstoppable – changes and challenges. When faced with choppy seas, instead of drowning in them we can get on our surfboard and learn to deal with them by riding the waves. We will probably fall off our surfboard many times, but we can jump back on, and with practice, we can learn how to navigate life’s ever-changing waters better.  

3. “Be happy at the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.” Mother Theresa

This mindfulness quote from the nun and missionary Mother Teresa teaches us to enjoy the moment and not to want more than what we have. Sometimes it can be hard to fully embrace the now and stop worrying about the future, but this quote reminds us that we should try to live simply and in the present.

It also reminds us that we should practice gratitude for what we have, however little. By always being more grateful in life, we can become less self-centered and materialistic, and overall become happier with our lives.

4. “Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” Thích Nhất Hạnh

One of the most influential figures in the fields of mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhism, the wisdom of Thích Nhất Hạnh has provided countless quotes on mindfulness, but this is one of my favorites.

This quote is all about remaining centered and focusing on our breath through meditation, despite any changes or upsets in our minds. By bringing your attention to your breath, you can calm a busy or troubled mind and bring about equilibrium.

5. “The real question is not whether life exists after death. The real question is whether you are alive before death.”  Osho

The Indian mystic Osho was a controversial character, but there’s nothing debatable about this mindfulness quote: we agree 100 percent! So many of us are rushing through life, doing the things we have to do: the treadmill of work, paying the bills, taking care of the family, etc. But in doing so, we often don’t stop taking in the world around us fully. Being mindful means consciously being aware, stopping to appreciate every moment of life, instead of living it at breakneck speed.

“Having some inspiration in the form of mindfulness quotes can help you see the benefits of the practice and give you the power to keep going.”

Likewise, this mindfulness quote is also a reminder to ask yourself if you are living your true, authentic life. Are you doing the things which make you happy in life, or are you just a slave to the wage? Are you using all your skills and being the best person that you can be? Using mindfulness can be a great tool to be still and evaluate if you are alive before death!

6. “Look past your thoughts, so you may drink the pure nectar of This Moment.” Rumi

Rumi was a Persian poet born in 1207. Books of his poetry have sold millions of copies in recent years, making him one of the most popular poets in the United States. Pretty good going for someone that lived 800 years ago! This mindfulness quote from Rumi shows why his sayings are so popular.

Incredibly, experts estimate that the average mind thinks between 60,000 – 80,000 thoughts a day. Some of those thoughts include minor things like what we are thinking to eat for breakfast, but other, deeper thoughts can fly through our minds all day, such as negative thoughts about the past (rumination) and worries for the future.

The problem is, when we are focusing on our thoughts, we are missing what is happening in our lives right now. Here and now. At this very moment.

Calming the chatter – the monkey mind – through mindfulness can help you to stop overthinking and live in the present moment, helping you to enjoy life and be happier. 

7. “We have only now, only this single eternal moment opening and unfolding before us, day and night.” Jack Kornfield

This quote from Jack Kornfield – teacher, writer, and one of the leading proponents of Buddhism in the Western world – encapsulates one of the key elements of mindfulness: living in the present moment. The past is the past; we cannot change it, we can only learn from our mistakes and try to move forward.

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Likewise, we can try and plan for the future to some degree, but life has the habit of throwing things up in the air to disrupt those plans! Indeed, what we truly only really have is this moment we are living now, and because of that, we should focus on that and make the most of it.

8. “The only way to live is by accepting each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” Tara Brach

This mindfulness quote from the respected teacher and author Tara Brach is essentially saying the same thing. We must learn to appreciate that our time on Earth is limited, and we should make the most of every minute.

This quote also hints at the power of gratitude, suggesting we should be grateful for the gift of life and all the wonder it brings. When problems and thoughts start to cloud your mood and mind, remember this mindfulness quote and try to bring yourself back to the idea of appreciating every moment of our existence.

9. “Paradise is not a place; it’s a state of consciousness.” Sri Chinmoy

All too often we are searching for our idea of Paradise: be that in the form of our dream home, an exotic holiday, or the perfect relationship. And while, of course, it’s great to have dreams to aspire to, we mustn’t neglect the idea that we can be happy with what we already have.

Indeed, it’s our mental attitude that can be a source of peace and contentment. If we achieve a peaceful, conscious mind, free from conflict, it can bring us great joy. Practicing mindfulness can help us achieve this state of being. This quote from Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy reminds us that happiness is a journey, not a destination.

10. “Mindfulness isn’t difficult; we just need to remember to do it.” Sharon Salzberg

Best-selling author Sharon Salzberg has written many meditation and mindfulness books and has been teaching meditation since 1974. So, she’s pretty well placed to be able to talk about the difficulty – or ease – of practicing mindfulness. Indeed, Salzberg’s mindfulness quote is spot-on.

Practicing mindfulness in itself is not difficult as it’s simply a way of being that doesn’t require any more of our time. However, training our brains to remember to stay mindful at all times can be more of a challenge, especially if mindful behavior is new to us. However, we can change our behavior gradually, and this mindfulness quote is a reminder of that.



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