Mindfulness is the new buzz word on everyone’s lips, but what is it exactly?  Well it’s a series of techniques used to help keep us in the present moment and these practises have been know about for thousands of years by Buddhist monks.

Mindfulness is a great way to de-stress your life, especially if you suffer from anxiety and depression.  ‘Mindfulness on the Go‘ by Padraig O’Morain was recommended to me and I am now working my way through the exercises.  It’s a great book for people who are busy and would like to practise Mindfulness but just don’t have time.

The average human has 70 000 thoughts a day.  I know that most of mine are about the past, fantasies and possible negative future situations.

One exercise involves spending only 20 seconds concentrating on breathing in and out of your nostrils.  The idea is to focus on your breathing rather than the thousands of thoughts being processed by your brain every day.

There are now classes in Mindfulness and you’ll be able to find some tutorials on Youtube too.  So when I’m next photographing or filming, I will be doing it ‘mindfully.’  I have already noticed a huge difference in my own stress levels after trying some mindfulness meditations for a couple of weeks.

I especially like going for walks by Loch Leven and walking ‘Mindfully’ focussing on the present moment, the feeling of the soles of my feet against the ground and trying not to let thoughts wander in.  It’s almost impossible to stop thoughts but the whole point of mindfulness is that it’s a training to allow you to be aware of your thoughts and that they are separate from the real ‘you.’

Mindfulness on the Go will be available from some public libraries.