The Importance of Mindfulness in Achieving Optimal Health and Wellness
Do you want to live a long and healthy life? Maybe you don't care about that stuff and are just looking for ways to relieve stress and feel happier. The truth is that true well-being goes beyond reducing stress. In order to achieve ultimate health and wellness, you need something more. Mindfulness is incredibly important in achieving optimal health and wellness.
The demands of modern life have led to an anxiety epidemic. But an antidote exists in mindfulness—focused awareness of the present moment. A regular practice decreases stress and boosts well-being, shifting the nervous system to a restful state. As mindfulness pioneer Jon Kabat-Zinn said, “Wherever you go, there you are.”
Mindfulness reduces reactivity, increases concentration and resilience. With practice, grasping of thoughts and feelings recedes as you realize they are fleeting, not your true self. Mindfulness strengthens the brain’s regulation center, shrinking the fear center. Mindlessness, in contrast, means chronic stress and health issues.
Authentic wellness comes from within. Mindfulness provides insight, fortitude and purpose. Its benefits include reduced anxiety and improved cognition. “Mindfulness helps us tune into our highest potential and appreciate each moment as a gift,” said author Sharon Salzberg.
In a distracted world, mindfulness is refuge and antidote. A vibrant, thriving life comes from this "inner work and personal transformation," as physician Andrew Weil said. Though wellness products abound, mindfulness enables flourishing like never before. Overall, wellness begins within. By living fully awake, you can tap into your deepest nature and gain a timeless wisdom and strength of spirit.
