The Importance of Practicing Mindfulness

“Some say it is […] noble to live life and without time there is no life. Others disagree. They would rather have an eternity of contentment, even if that eternity were fixed and frozen, like a butterfly mounted in a case.” – Alan Lightman, Einstein’s Dreams

Mindfulness is difficult to attain. Often, we forget how to think about the mind, and what mindfulness can do to improve the way the mind thinks.

Our mind often works like a muscle. Using a muscle makes it stronger. For example, a weightlifter can lift more weight through practice.

And repetition gives a muscle muscle memory. For instance, a classical guitarist can fingerpick effortlessly after many thousands of repetitions.

The mind’s neural connections work similarly.  If we regularly use a neural path, its connections become stronger. If I work all day thinking about architecture, I might find myself dreaming about architecture. Similarly, if I’m depressed often and repetitively, I’m likely to find things depressing.

For these reasons, it’s important to be mindful of the way you are using your mind. Are you falling into a cyclical repetition of thoughts? Do you wallow on a sore subject?

What could or should I be thinking about? How can I embrace the positive aspects of my life, and overcome the negative? How can I slow down? How can I focus? And how can I find balance?

These are answers that we can answer together. Consider the Metis Center for therapy in Boulder, Colorado. Our therapists are experts on exercising mindfulness!