are not our thoughts, but rather, we are
the awareness of our thoughts, we’re able
to develop a higher insight into what
happens inside our minds.
“It’s actually quite a revelation to
realise you don’t have to act on every
thought or impulse you have,” says Meg
Welchman, psychologist and author of
The Present Moment (purplecordpress.
com). “Mindfulness is a great way to
examine what goes in and out of your
mind with the ability to then make
choices based on those thoughts that are
more in line with your values, leading
to more positive outcomes in your life,”
she says.
“Through mindful practice, you
begin to create a space that allows you
to move forward, towards what you
really want, as you are no longer held
captive by your limiting thoughts,” says
Dr Elise Bialylew, founder of Mindful
in May (mindfulinmay.com.au). “And
when something you are doing starts
to not feel right again, or it’s not in line
with your values – because mindfulness
is the capacity to be aware in the present
moment – this allows you to listen
deeply and pay attention to what you
need the most [in that moment] and this
helps you renavigate back to what you
value the most.”
Christie agrees that mindfulness
gives you the motivation to not only
choose your thoughts, but it helps you
reconnect with those values. “It helps
you remember why you chose what you
did in the first place,” she adds.
Reap the benefits
Living authentically makes you feel
good about yourself and this fosters
many health benefits. Through
her research, Christie found that
when people are living in line with
their values, they experience general
satisfaction, more positive experiences
and f lourishing relationships
with others.
Similarly, research conducted at
the University of Utah has found
that people who practise mindfulness
develop to higher levels of wellbeing,
which leads to a stronger sense of self.
During this study, the practice of non-
judgemental awareness of thoughts
and emotions allowed participants to
experience ‘self-concept clarity’, which
is a clear sense of self with greater self-
knowledge. In turn, this encourages
more consistent involvement in
fulfilling pursuits and relationships.
“Your thoughts motivate your actions
and behaviours, and when these are
in alignment with your values, then
there’s no cognitive dissonance,” says
Welchman. “When you’re congruent in
thought and action, this is a perfect way
of crafting the perfect answer to, ‘just be
yourself ’ in everything you do, which is
the most authentic way to live your life,”
she adds.
Researchers have also found that the
more we come to understand ourselves,
the more we develop compassion and
understanding for others. “Mindfulness
naturally expands your ability to express
empathy and compassion in the world,”
adds Dr Bialylew. “In effect, this makes
you more generous and motivates
you to want to contribute and make a
difference, which is a powerful catalyst
for goodness in the world and it also
fulfils your life in unimaginable ways.”Determine
your values
To clarify your values ask
yourself:
đ What is truly
important to me?
đ What do I want my
life to stand for?
đ What sort of qualities
do I want to cultivate
as a person?
đ How do I want to
be in relationships
with others?Mindful exercises
By Alison Christie
Observe: When you’re feeling an
unpleasant emotion, the first step is
to take a few slow, deep breaths and
quickly scan your body from head to
toe. Look for the strongest sensation- the one that bothers you the most.
Focus your attention on that sensation.
Observe it curiously, carefully. Notice
where it starts and where it ends.
Learn as much about it as you can.
Breathe: Take a few deep breaths.
Breathe into and around it.
Expand: Make room for the feeling.
Loosen up around it and create space.
Allow: Allow the emotion to be there.
You don’t have to like it or want it.
Simply let it be and make peace with
it. The goal is not to get rid of it but
to give up the struggle with it.
You can do this with as many different
sensations as you want to. As you do this
exercise one of two things will happen:
either your feelings will change - or they
won’t. It doesn’t matter either way. This
exercise is not about changing your
feelings. It’s about accepting them.
40 | AUSTRALIAN NATURAL HEALTH naturalhealthmag.com.au