Mindfulness is something you usually heard but you may not truly understand what are the real purpose to practice mindfulness.
Well, one of the keys to get happiness is mindfulness! Surprise? Let me tell you more about this.
My background is practice Chinese Martial Art and there is a concept called 内家（Internal). Many internal martial arts such as Taichi is one of most famous among others.
The key to understand mindfulness is to practice the form and routine by paying extremely cautions and mindful about every steps, moves, breathing, thoughts and feeling. I know it may sound complicated but everything get easy when practice often.
Now, how it is related to our topic? Let me tell you one of the stories when I practice stick drill with my mentor.
We played in a high speed movement and unfortunately I got disarm from my mentor. He asked me why this happened? I have no idea and keep silence. He then explained from the moment my body begun to slightly off the center, my hand placement is not in the line, therefore he can distract me and get my stick!
All these occurred within a split second, and he can notice my movement and his movement, yet he is completely aware what happened just now!
Yes, perhaps you already know, the key is mindfulness!
Starts form that day, I practice mindfulness by noticing my thoughts, my body movement via meditation. I pay attention in eating, writing, even now!
Being mindfulness simply means here and now! Many people dwell in past, expect on future but forget now! From this point of view, it is easy to understand why being mindful is one of the keys to get happiness!
Addiction usually comes when you are unnoticed, you will only realize when you already did the behavior, right? Therefore, Practice mindfulness is to allow you to have choice!
Indeed, Choice is the thing you will need! But why?
This is because practice mindfulness allows you notice thoughts, feelings when it occurs, now you have the option whether allow it happen or stop it. Even you let it happen but this is completely under your conscious situation, it is your choice!
Can you see the different between these two?
I did using this method to quit my nail biting habit. At first was hard, i failed! But after keep mindful and I was not allow it happened. Guess what? It will stop the craving.
That was 1 year ago until now I have not bite my nails ever since then!
Being mindful and focus on now, you can feel your life that you aware and appreciate every single moment occurs, don;t you think this is the beauty of life?