The here and now - By mark weeks

Mindfulness is not the be all and end all of a self-reliant and fulfilled life. But it's the best tool out there to keep you grounded to the here and now.

Men often say what's on their minds, but not what is in their hearts. Many of us struggle with expressing compassion and empathy. And, that's why we have to work a little harder to become aware of the present moment. That doesn't mean we have to become touchy feely or become more vulnerable. Quite the opposite, in my opinion.
                                         
Unknowingly, many of us already integrate some type of mindfulness practice in our daily lives. Such as in the arena of sports, from martial arts, basketball to bodybuilding, we are encouraged to go into the zone. That moment when we flow effortlessly and achieve our best results.

What Mindfulness Is Not.
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​You might be worried that mindfulness is just too ‘out there’ for you. But despite its ties to Buddhism, you don’t need to be spiritual to practice mindfulness.
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And you definitely don’t have to be travelling on some sort of spiritual journey towards enlightenment. Mindfulness is simply a concentration exercise. It’s focusing your mind on the present moment, without worrying about the future or the past.
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There’s no right or wrong way to do things when it comes to mindfulness.

​There’s absolutely no judgement involved.

Mindfulness is simply a case of experiencing life in the present moment. Another thing to note is that whilst mindfulness can be incredibly beneficial, it isn’t a quick fix for stress, anxiety or any other negative feeling.

You don’t always have to feel good when practicing mindfulness. It's simply being in the here and now. No matter what type of day you've had.
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In fact, mindfulness helps you work through challenging emotions, so that you can find comfort in them.

We'll explore more next month, please save us to your 'favourites' and let's nail this.

Also visit our Mindfulness For Men Facebook page for more tips on mastering mindfulness.