What does it mean to be ‘mindful’? How do you know if you’re actually meditating? Daily mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and all kinds of practices are becoming more popular as many struggle with the stresses of daily life.

There are lots of excellent resources online for anyone who would like to learn how to meditate, which is just a word to describe the use of a practice or technique to focus or train the mind to achieve various positive outcomes. Everything from better attention to increased ability to solve problems and increased awareness and peace of mind are all proven benefits. Meditation and/or daily mindfulness is also a spiritual practice for many who utilize it. See the studies below.

Nowadays, when people hear the word self-care, they think massages and pampering, wine on a Wednesday or a walk in the park. Those are all well and good but don’t address the underlying notions of why you should spend time alone. The goal of self-care isn’t to have some “you time,” it’s to help heal the parts of you that feel broken or worn down.

As humans, we all get caught up in what I call our “doingness.” We are constantly in a state of motion and having to fill every gap of time and space. I used to be that person, too. The one who had to watch tv, scroll on social media, hit the movies, or take a power walk somewhere listening to music. I would waste hours online and make countless attempts to fill a void, a longing, or a need for attention.

In Inner Bonding, we often talk about who is in charge – your wounded self or your guidance. Most people are enslaved by the thoughts and beliefs of their wounded self – their programmed mind. But the mind is meant to be the servant of our inner and higher guidance, not the master. Why do we too often throw away the gift of intuition – of our inner knowing?

Intuition is a sacred gift, the rational mind its faithful servant. Sadly, we have thrown away the gift and have become enslaved to the servant. – Albert Einstein