Mindfulness is the art of being aware and is often used in conjunction with many somatic interventions. Many times we spend much of our mental energy living in the past or worrying about the future. Mindfulness allows us to be fully present in the moment. Trauma traps the body in the past; mindfulness takes it back by allowing us to be grounded in the present moment. We can practice mindfulness by “mono-tasking”-i.e focusing on a singular sensation like the taste of a great bite of food. It is also commonly practiced by attending to the needs of the body, noticing our emotions, or praciting meditation. Like any skill, mindfulness can be difficult but it gets easier with practice.
Practice a short mindfulness exercise on our blog here.
Dan Siegel defines mindfulness.
Guided meditation by Dan Seigel (25 minutes)
Mindsight by Dan Seigel is a great book about neuroscience and mindfulness.
Building Emotional Intelligence by Linda Lantieri and Daniel Goleman is a wonderful resource for mindfulness in children.
Amarillo Professional Counseling and Consultation 