Practicing mindfulness has been shown to help many individuals, from those struggling to overcome addiction to those simply searching for personal peace. Yet, mindfulness is one of those concepts with a bit of an amorphous definition, often modified by the individual speaking about mindfulness.

According to the Mayo Clinic, mindfulness is a state of profound mental awareness, characterized by an intense focus on one’s feelings and senses at the moment – accomplished without judgment! Mindfulness requires an awareness of your external surroundings and your inner, personal experiences, including how you choose to respond to internal and external stimuli.

The ultimate objective of mindfulness is to sit in awareness – a.k.a. being in the moment, without having an attachment to any thought or anything that may enter one’s consciousness.

Mindfulness is not some newfangled, new-age technique but simply a series of breathing methodologies and guided imagery practices designed to alleviate stress and to relax and balance the mind, body, and spirit. To best understand the benefits offered by the method of mindfulness, one must go beyond the intellect and enter the realm of the experiential.

And while mindfulness in and of itself is not difficult, it does require an individual to commit to a certain level of self-discipline by remaining in the present moment. Most people are easily distracted by their ego’s habitual need to engage in thinking about –

• The past – the source of much worry/guilt, or,
• The future – the home of uncertainty and anxiety.

It is for this reason that mindfulness exercises have the potential to offer help in focusing on one’s experience at more profound, more personal levels. To learn how mindfulness can help therapeutically in the recovery process in addiction, read more in the narrative below.

How Mindfulness Helps Addiction Recovery

Mindfulness helps those participating by slowing their thoughts – and therefore, their actions & behaviors. This is accomplished by encouraging participants to proactively calm their mental chatter. Mindfulness encourages one to focus on the body’s sensations and experiences in ways that most choose to ignore or overlook, or even worse, have never done before. A quiet mind creates a sense of tranquility that often mimics the objective of those who seek similar states using drugs such as marijuana, alcohol, or opiates, among others.

Additionally, mindfulness offers individuals the opportunity to start to notice (and appreciate!) the wonderful sensory experiences that are around, on an everyday basis. The truth is when given an opportunity to take in the world’s beauty, one’s perspective on the world shifts in unison.

Mindfulness is a wonderful, insightful tool that helps practitioners better understand themselves by paying attention to one’s reactions to everything. And, by acknowledging one’s reactions (without judgment), it becomes easier to let go of the events that may have provoked poor choices in the past.

Mindfulness is often effective in opening channels that allow people to accept new realizations about their behavior and themselves, essentially creating an opportunity to respond differently the next time a trigger is presented.

What is involved with mindfulness?

The fundamental skills that are required in mindfulness practice include –

• Observation – staying engaged as to what is going on.
• Description –having the ability to articulate what happened and what was experienced.
• Participation –choosing to participate without being self-conscious.
• Maintaining No Judgment – being tolerant and accepting things, rather than judging, blaming, or projecting.
• Staying in the Moment – maintain focus without distraction.

Mindfulness is an effective, inexpensive, and portable tool for maintaining one’s sense of self and well-being and it quite helpful for those seeking to overcome an addiction.