Mindfulness
and
Meditation

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness practices such as meditation help us be present to the here and now and also help heal past trauma and reprogram patterns of thinking and acting that cause us to suffer.  Mindfulness has also been shown to have many physiological benefits ranging from regulation of blood pressure to positive effects on sugar levels and stress levels.  Some studies even indicate that mindfulness can have positive effects in cancer treatment (for more details on the health benefits of mindfulness, see for instance, In the Flow by Deborah Norris, Ph.D.).

Being in the present keeps us centered in Divine Reality.  The unattended mind will most often be in the past or in the future.  If we tend to live in the past we can get locked into remorse, grief, or resentment; if we live in the future, we become prone to anxiety or fear.  These are all traits of the lower self.  When we learn the tools of mindfulness, we achieve a proper balance, focusing primarily on the present and finding peace, joy, and satisfaction.

There are many ways to engage and cultivate mindfulness.  Aside from the many forms of silent meditation, there are other forms of mindfulness practice, which include movement, sound, engaging the senses, breathwork, etc.

Scroll  down to read about why learning Mindfulness at Garden of Grace is tailor-made for you!

How long will it take to learn mindfulness?

For most clients, a 12-session journey is sufficient to learn, understand, and build traction in the practice of mindfulness.  Each person is unique, and our hope is to accompany you on this journey both deeply and efficiently.

For greatest efficiency and ease of learning, your training in mindfulness will be tailored to your own innate temperament, so that the forms of mindfulness practice you learn, and the way you learn them, will provide you with minimum difficulty and maximum positive results.  In designing your mindfulness journey, we will use the Arno Temperament Profile to uncover your innate temperament.

Scroll to read about mindfulness and religion

Is mindfulness tied to religion, or to a particular religion?

Mindfulness practices such as meditation were initially developed in the context of various faith traditions.  Christianity, Buddhism, HInduism, Judaism, and Islam, among others, all have developed spiritual practices that lead to the experience of mindfulness.  Therefore, mindfulness practice can be congruent with any faith, and can enhance your experience of your own spiritual tradition, if you have one.

It is also possible to learn and practice mindfulness apart from any particular religion or spiritual tradition.  Mindfulness can be productively taught in a secular context without losing any of its power to transform your life.  Therefore, wherever you are on your spiritual journey, mindfulness is definitely for you!

If I am a Christian, can I practice mindfulness?

Yes!  Christianity has a long and rich tradition of mindfulness and meditation that goes back centuries to the early founding of the church.  Practicing mindfulness is native to Christian spirituality and always has been.

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