The pathway of sobriety is a journey of discovery. When we seek freedom from substance use disorder (SUD), we will discover many new things about ourselves and many new ideas, tools, and ways of living. As we incorporate these newfound life lessons into our daily lives, we will cultivate new habits that will help keep us on the sober road of discovery. One such tool we will encounter in our journey is practicing mindfulness.
Mindfulness may seem like a vague or foreign concept at first. It may even sound like new-age pop psychology. The real truth is that mindfulness is rooted in practices that have been helping people find freedom for thousands of years. Though greatly informed by Eastern philosophies, practicing mindfulness does not conflict with any other philosophy, doctrine, dogma, or religion. It is simply a practice to bring our attention and awareness to the truth of the present moment.
Learning to practice mindfulness involves no tools or equipment. It can be done anywhere, at any time, and for any length of time. As far as mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual tools go, mindfulness is the one-stop shop. Better and more useful than a Swiss Army knife on a camping trip. It hinders nothing, conflicts with nothing, and does not require us to work hard at anything. The practice can be done for 10 seconds, 10 minutes, or two hours. At the office, in the middle of a bad day, at the start of a new day, during the commercial break of a television show. Mindfulness can be engaged with anywhere.
What Exactly Is Mindfulness?
Practicing mindfulness can be many, many things. Due to the nature of it, this is perhaps why it strikes some people as vague or even wishy-washy. But it is not those things. It is simply a very flexible but definite tool that can take many forms and fit many shapes. At its core, though, mindfulness is about taming the mind. It is whatever practice we find can bring our attention and awareness to the present moment. Mindfulness is the tool by which we calm our thoughts and bodies and bring our mental and spiritual focus into alignment with this present moment right here, right now.
How exactly do we do this? Well, that is entirely up to you and what you find effective. Some people simply practice controlling their breathing. Others will practice by observing their thoughts but not attaching to them. Yet others may practice yoga or Tai Chi while being mindful. There are almost infinite ways to practice mindfulness. At its roots, mindfulness is essentially meditation. Anyone can meditate. Whether it’s sitting in silence, listening to music, or doing a guided meditation. Find what works for you. Some people walk in nature alone to meditate, others light incense and sit on a pillow on the floor. Whatever environment or practice facilitates you getting quiet and focused is meditation.
So the real secret is that mindfulness is really practicing the ancient art of meditation. The good news is there are nearly infinite ways to practice mindfulness and meditation. You can experiment and find what works best for you. The only result we are after is trying to produce peace, stillness, calm, and presence in the moment.
Why Practice Mindfulness?
For centuries people have been using mindfulness and meditation to improve peace of mind, mental health, mental clarity, and produce a myriad of other physical and spiritual benefits. It is a proven technique to help reduce stress, anxiety, depression, heart rate, and blood pressure. Meditation also holds much value in the spiritual and emotional realm, producing periods of calm, emotional balance, resilience, and more.
The truth is that mindfulness has almost too many benefits to list all in one place. It helps with muscle tension, inner peace, and mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. And it does all this in so many different ways. Simply by practicing breathing steadily and harnessing your awareness of the present moment, you can produce a huge list of benefits for your overall health.
This is precisely why Bright Mission Recovery includes mindfulness and meditation practices in its curriculum. From yoga to guided meditation and everything in between, Bright Mission Recovery believes in the healing power of mindfulness. It bolsters sobriety by improving emotional resilience, mental clarity, spiritual health, and overall peace and happiness. It improves the inner life of the practitioner spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. On top of all that, it benefits our physical health as well. There is very little that practicing mindfulness won’t improve.
Meditation and mindfulness are even built-in additions to many sobriety programs to which Bright Mission Recovery offers exposure. The Twelve Steps encourage daily meditation and frequent effort geared toward mindfulness in order to maintain and improve sober life. There is no getting around it; mindfulness is part of the journey of discovery.
Mindfulness is a longstanding and effective practice for aiding mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual health. It is also an essential ingredient in almost any sobriety regimen. Practicing mindfulness helps us bring our attention to the present moment and often produces feelings of calm and peace. These are helpful things to acquire for anyone on the path to freedom from substance use disorder (SUD). Mindfulness is part of the holistic healing program available at Bright Mission Recovery. We approach solutions to SUD with a holistic curriculum designed to produce lasting healing on a neverending journey of discovery. To begin experiencing freedom from SUD for yourself, call Bright Mission Recovery at (747) 444-3284