If you've been living under the stone for as far back as a decade, you'll hear the term mindfulness. However, although the term is widespread and widely known, it is not well understood. The practice of mindfulness and meditation has been around for thousands of years. It has countless devotees, from Oprah Winfrey to the late great Kobe Bryant. Psychological and clinical studies show that regular meditators are happier and more content than average.

It is clear that more research and practice need to be done to counteract it, but there are many proven benefits. In case you're interested in getting started, there are hundreds of resources and places.

What is Mindfulness? Common awakening myths

As mentioned before, mindfulness is nothing particularly new. It is mainly used to describe the human ability to be fully aware of where you are and what is happening around you. In other words, vigilance is something you already have. Everyone does. Mindfulness practice is to hone this innate ability through meditation.

Here are some common myths about vigilance that need to be dispelled mindfulness are not:

• Religion or worship. Both religious and atheists practice mindfulness. Although described as the basis of Buddhist meditation by some, at the heart of it all is a form of mental training.
• Complicated. Meditation, like most practices, can be difficult at first. However, with practice, it becomes easier. The basic concept is easy to understand, though.
• About sitting on the floor, squatting, saying "Om." You can do this if you want to. However, this is not exactly the norm. There is no right or wrong place to practice mindfulness. Sit in a chair, walk or train on the bus to work!
• Serious unproven theory. There have been many tests and studies verifying some of the claims made by practitioners regarding the benefits of mindfulness. There are still some ways to go with that!
• All acceptances are not acceptable. Many fear that mindfulness will deaden their minds and weaken their instincts. In other words, they fear this will ease their softening. This doesn't seem right; it's all about seeing the world more clearly.

Why is Mindfulness Important?

Many successful athletes, CEOs, and philosophers mention mindfulness meditation as part of their daily routines. There is also still too much work to be done in exploring the benefits and applications of mindfulness. However, there have been significant proven benefits for your well-being and physical and mental health.

For many mindfulness meditation practitioners, it has been a key to a happier, healthier, and less stressful existence. Of course, you may not get all the benefits, but the risk-reward ratio makes it hard to ignore!

Here are some of the following benefits of meditation that studies have proved:

• International studies show that regular meditation reduces indicators of chronic stress
• Meditation has been shown to boost the immune system, which means it can help your body fight off diseases and viruses!
• Meditation can boost memory and reaction times. It can also help increase your physical and mental stamina!
• For some, it provides a coping mechanism to combat substance addiction and behaviours.
• Finally, depression, anxiety, and irritability appear to decrease with regular meditation. This is always probably the most crucial benefit of getting rid of today's society!

Conclusion

So you have some essential bits and pieces that you need. Don't be discouraged if you don't see immediate results; everyone is different. However, there are proven benefits to adding this practice to your daily routine.