Healthy Mama Magazine Purple Issue - May 2015 | Page 28

MIND

Mindfulness is a powerful meditation technique practiced in yoga.
Being mindful means having an awareness of our present thoughts and
feelings without judging them or reacting to them. In other words, it
teaches us to observe our emotions without labeling them as “right” or
“wrong”. The practice of accepting our experiences rather than struggling with them is an effective tool for dealing with the highs and lows
that are a part of the creative flow. Mindfulness has been shown to
reduce stress, increase happiness, and promote divergent thinking, or
the thought process used to generate and explore creative ideas.
A 2014 study conducted at Leiden University in the Netherlands found
that mindful-meditation led to an increase in innovative thinking and
the generation of new ideas. Clearing the mind from the fog of emotion allows our creative energy to be visible and more accessible.

Use everyday events as reminders to "center" yourself (i.e. your

BODY

morning cup of coffee or the sound of your cell phone