Mindful vs. Full Mind

Two weeks ago, I began practicing yoga again. I love everything about this practice, and have tried to keep it up since my senior year in undergrad. Injury and my first year of graduate school have kept me from being consistently involved, but I am determined to keep up the practice despite my crazy schedule of school, work and planning a wedding. Three-four times per week, folks. That's my goal.

Speaking of goals...

...It has become a personal goal of mine to be more mindful. (BEWARE: I'm about to get all philosophical...oh, boy) This is something that has become more of a personal goal since studying and applying Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) during my internship this past summer. What does it mean to be "mindful"? Well, think of what happens when you have to drive to work/school every day. You are taking the same route and are essentially on auto-pilot. Once you are finally at your destination, you wonder, "Wait! How did I get here?" You have spaced out for that 30 minutes it took you to get from Point A to Point B. (Or, I have spaced out...I don't mean to make it sound like YOUR problem, reader...or is it?)

So, if you (or me) are mindful, then when you drive, you just drive. When you are cooking, you are just cooking. When you are washing your car, you are just washing your car...you get the idea.

It's very challenging and sometimes impossible.

DBT is a very powerful practice for individuals with mental illness. It helps with attention, staying focused on personal goals, not becoming overwhelmed with life and dealing with hallucinations. In people with brain injury, it is believed that the mindfulness used in DBT helps reconnect neurons in injured brain tissue. If this practice works with people who have been injured, it can certainly make us all more functional and stable; more productive.

So, this is what I am working on in my yoga practice. Yes, I have other motives...I want to look hot in my wedding dress...but, I also want to achieve a higher level of consciousness, motivation and balance in my life.

Don't we all?