A Mindfulness Crash Course

Demystifying what mindfulness and wellness are all about and how it will help you

Welcome Back!

We need to unapologetically apologize.
Our obsession with mindfulness silos into thinking that everyone must know what mindfulness is. Along with a laundry list of all of other buzzwords like “awareness:, “presence”, “practice”, “wellness”and so many others. So we decided to take a step back and breakdown in one episode the foundational concepts that make mindfulness tick.

Here are just five highlights from our crash course into mindfulness.

1. Mindfulness Demystified

Mindfulness isn't just some woo-woo concept.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, the father of mindfulness in the West, defines it as

The awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.

By becoming more aware through the practices of mindfulness (no worries we will discuss those in a moment) they will help you manage stress, improve focus, and even shrink the amygdala—the part of your brain responsible for the fight-or-flight response. Think of mindfulness is your mental defrag tool, that will clear out the clutter and help you focus.

2. Meditation vs. Mindfulness

Ever wondered what the difference is here? Think of mindfulness as the big circle and meditation as a smaller circle within it.

Mindfulness is a way of living, being present in the moment, that has dozens of practices associated with it. Meditation is one of them.

Meditation is a focusing exercise that helps you get present. There are many different types; breath, visualization, mantra, walking and many others.

As Jon Macaskill puts it, "Mindfulness is going to make you a better meditator, and meditation is going to make you more mindful."