Mindfulness has been all over the place along with yoga, meditation since the 70’s and there is an ever increasing scientific data that proves its benefits. If it has been proposed as good for us for decades, why not take a deeper look and give it a try.
“According to neuroscience research, mindfulness practices dampen activity in our amygdala and increase the connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Both of these parts of the brain help us to be less reactive to stressors and to recover better from stress when we experience it.” – Greater Good Science Center
Mindfulness will make you invincible because you won’t be emotionally attached to thoughts and circumstances. This happens when you create space between thoughts and awareness. As you rise above thoughts and circumstances, you will be unmoved by constant change around you. You will have profound stability seeing things as they are and not eager to change and manipulate them. Easily access this stability through inner knowing and not identifying with the mind’s opinions.
1. Go deeper into your inner sense of Self
What or who gets hurt happens so much on the surface of who you are. The superficial you, your ego. But that is not all you that you are. Most people identify with their body, social status, role in the family and society. These are personas, and if you look up the root word of person it means mask. So what is behind the mask? It is the real you, the one who decided to go on this journey before you were born. You have access to this greater part of you.
Go deeper into your inner sense of Self through meditation. Access this state of pure strength and knowingness. Above and beyond your petty desires and fears. If you tap into just a sliver of this knowingness, you will feel bigger and know that all of these things that bother you are just thoughts. In becoming bigger and at one with the real you, nothing will bother you anymore.
“True self is non-self, the awareness that the self is made only of non-self elements. There’s no separation between self and other, and everything is interconnected. Once you are aware of that you are no longer caught in the idea that you are a separate entity.”
– Thich Nhat Hanh
2. Perpetual Inner Peace
Cultivating inner peace is one of the many outcomes of mindfulness. As we engage in our day to day activities we get wrapped up and lost in the complexity of the countless details and decisions we are obliged to make. Having a steady practice of meditation and carrying mindfulness all throughout the day will provide inner peace despite the chaos around you.
“Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset.”
– St Francis De Sales
3. Enhanced Flexibility
In creating space between your awareness and situations, the way you respond to circumstances change. Becoming more mindful makes you flexible and adaptable because you will have greater understanding of the wholeness of things rather than its divided contradictions. With clarity and mindfulness you will be flexible and will act graciously towards what is needed at the moment. You will be able to turn into this adaptive being because you have space where in you can really analyze first before you act. It is also called psychological flexibility. Being able to see from different perspectives will save you a whole lot of frustrations. You’ll see that there’s nothing to be bummed about. All “just is” and you are flexible and gracious to participate and help instead of consuming and being served.
“The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.”
– Brian Greene
4. The Power Of Equanimity
With a regular meditation practice, you will get to learn to live mindfully. Your moment to moment experience will be your practice.
Equanimity means Equal mind. Being in the state of equilibrium can be achieved if we arrive at each moment with no judgement. When we are equanimous, anything that arises in the mind is too small and incidental compared to awareness itself. Experience grounded presence in however extreme our circumstance maybe. This is true invincibility if you ask me.
“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word happy would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.”
– Carl Jung
5. Relationship Satisfaction
One of the many factors that contribute to our overall wellbeing is the quality of our relationships. Becoming more mindful, you will be able to communicate clearly with your loved ones with empathy, sympathy and an understanding beyond your own perspective. You will have the capacity to accept people for who and what they are, their preferences, because you will see your reflection in them. Becoming more mindful, you will say, this person is just like me, yearning to be loved and accepted. So why not let that acceptance start with you?
“It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is.”
– Herman Hasse
6. Ease Physical Aches & Pains
According to a study in April of 2011 published in the Journal of Neuroscience states that a mindful meditation practice of 80 minutes reduces physical pain in half.
Much of the physical pain we experience is accentuating the physical sensation with our strong power of focused attention. This is what we call secondary suffering. We tend to inflate situations or sensations to a magnitude bigger than what really is. With mindfulness, we are honoring the bodily sensations may it be agreeable or disagreeable. Perceive these bodily sensations as messages, maybe your body is longing to be bent, stretched and moved. Listen to your body, it has intelligence and maybe it is saying something.
“100% of the time, pain is a construct of the brain.”
– Lorimer Moseley,
7. Enhanced Self Awareness
Self awareness is the ability to align our values with our behavior. To define your goals, mission and purpose. Focusing your attention to what is the highest form of good at this moment for myself and others. To become truly realized and tuned in to your most sincere intention in this life. Know your position, where you are right now, where you are going and how you are going to get there. Today be mindful of these things, in silent meditation you can ask your inner knowing to guide you towards perfect actions during the day.
“The knowing—in body, mind, and soul—that we are one with the omnipresence of God; that we do not have to pray that it come to us, that we are not merely near it at all times, but that God’s omnipresence is our omnipresence; that we are just as much a part of Him now as we ever will be. All we have to do is improve our knowing.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda
8. Expansion Of Consciousness
Whenever you sis in silent meditation or prayer, you open yourself up to the awareness that is beyond your persona / ego / identity. Expanding beyond futile opinions, emotions and circumstances. In becoming more mindful, you realize the perfection of eternal bliss and joy. Satchitananda (Ever New Bliss) as they say in yogic language.
Give your self this gift of being undisturbed by the material world. The gift of mindfulness opens up the door to omnipresence, the true nature of what we are. Accessing this state of mind and being you will have achieved invincibility beyond comprehension.
“So long as we are immersed in body consciousness, we are like strangers in a foreign country. Our native land is omnipresence.”
– Paramahansa Yogananda
Conclusion
True power is already within but it is up to us to nurture and cultivate it. True power and invincibility that is serene, accepting and ever new. There is always something in life that renews itself. So feel blessed that you are that, you are infinite, invincible although sometimes play the game of hide and seek that you are not.
Namaste 🙏