<p class="western" align="left"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-3-2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1866 alignright" src="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-3-2.jpg" alt="Mindfulness - meditation -be present - Yoga Nanaimo - Nanaimo - just be - meditation Nanaimo " width="251" height="201" /></a>Mindfulness is </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">all </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">about existing in the present moment </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">, letting go of judgements, fears, regrets and expectations. It </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">i</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s the ability to be aware of the present, go beneath the cloud of emotions to clearly see the truth of what is happening.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" align="left"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The untrained mind is often described as the “monkey mind” because it is constantly being distracted, </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">moving </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">from one thought, emotions or bod</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ily</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> sensation to an other. </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The mind is stuck</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> in the past and or </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">thinking about </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the future without really paying attention to what </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">is</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> happening right now. Mindfulness is a form of meditation </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">that brings you back to the present moment</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" align="left"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-2-3.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1867 alignright" src="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-2-3.jpg" alt="Mindfulness - meditation -be present - Yoga Nanaimo - Nanaimo - just be - meditation Nanaimo " width="233" height="216" /></a>You can start practicing mindfulness by a</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">llow</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ing</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> yourself to do nothing. Spend some time alone, sitting quietly and focusing on experiencing the world around you exactly as it is. Embrace emotion, thought or bod</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ily</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> sensation</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> b</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">y</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> allow</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ing</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> them to pass </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">like the weather. Stop trying to control them, just observe with </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">them </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">equanimity, </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">and try not to</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> judg</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">e what is happening</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. </span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" align="left"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Practicing mindfulness is really useful when you want to lose weight. Why? Because instead of putting food in your body while watching T.V. or </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">some other distraction</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">, you are being fully present to how the food taste</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> and feel</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> in your body. You can be present within and be aware </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">of whether</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> you are eating because you are hungry o</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">r</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> to </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">push down</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> some emotion </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">that is</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> rising up, </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">like sadness or loneliness</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" align="left"><span style="color: #000000;"> <a href="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-1.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-1863 alignright" src="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-1.png" alt="Mindfulness - meditation -be present - Yoga Nanaimo - Nanaimo - just be - meditation Nanaimo " width="269" height="187" /></a>“<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mindful eating” encourages healthier eating habits, helps </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">you </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lose weight, and helps </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">us to </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">savour the food we eat. “Eating becomes a succession of moments of mindfulness that might include the sight and smell of the food, the physical sensation of your arm being raised to your mouth, the sound of the food being chewed, the taste of the food, and even the thought, "This food is good."</span></span></span><em><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mindfulness enables us to make wise choices</span></span></span></em><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">.”</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Source:</span></span></span> <span style="color: #000080;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/turning-straw-gold/201106/6-benefits-practicing-mindfulness-outside-meditation"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/turning-straw-gold/201106/6-benefits-practicing-mindfulness-outside-meditation</span></span></span></a></u></span></span><span style="color: #000080;"><span lang="zxx"><u><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span></span></u></span></span></p>

<ul>
 	<li class="western"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/imgres-1.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1869 alignright" src="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/imgres-1-300x129.png" alt="Mindfulness - meditation -be present - Yoga Nanaimo - Nanaimo - just be - meditation Nanaimo " width="300" height="129" /></a>It helps you sleep better.</span></span></span></li>
 	<li class="western"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It makes you a better person, </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by </span></span></span><span style="color: #000080;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/02/meditation-compassion-do-good_n_2993793.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">making us more compassionate</span></span></span></a></u></span></span></li>
 	<li class="western">It helps us even when we’re not actively practicing it.</li>
 	<li class="western">It changes the brain and may be protective against mental illness.</li>
 	<li class="western">It could help people with arthritis to better handle stress and fatigue.</li>
 	<li class="western"><a href="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/imgres-1-4.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1865 alignright" src="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/imgres-1-4-300x145.jpg" alt="Mindfulness - meditation -be present - Yoga Nanaimo - Nanaimo - just be - meditation Nanaimo " width="300" height="145" /></a>It can make your grades better;</li>
 	<li class="western"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">helps us to tune out distractions, improve our memory and attention skills</span></span></span></li>
 	<li class="western"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">increases density of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.</span></span></span></li>
 	<li class="western"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It lowers </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">stress hormone cortisol</span></span></span></li>
 	<li class="western">It boost our immune system and ability to fight off illness</li>
 	<li class="western"><span lang="zxx"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #000080;"><span lang="zxx"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">is good for our moods, increase positive emotions</span></span></span></span></span></li>
 	<li class="western"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is </span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">reduce</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> depression,</span></span></span><span style="color: #000080;"><span lang="zxx"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> anger and hostility</span></span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="western" align="left"><span style="color: #000000;"><a href="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-1-2.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1868 alignright" src="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-1-2-300x168.jpg" alt="Mindfulness - meditation -be present - Yoga Nanaimo - Nanaimo - just be - meditation Nanaimo " width="300" height="168" /></a>“<span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The cultivation of mindfulness has roots in Buddhism, but most religions include some type of prayer or meditation technique that helps shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life. Mindfulness practice involves accepting whatever arises in your awareness at each moment. It involves being kind and forgiving toward yourself.” </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(Source: </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">http://www.helpguide.org/harvard/benefits-of-mindfulness.htm</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
</span></span></span></p>
<p class="western" align="left"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-8.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1864 alignright" src="http://www.choose2be.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/images-8.jpg" alt="Mindfulness - meditation -be present - Yoga Nanaimo - Nanaimo - just be - meditation Nanaimo " width="255" height="197" /></a>One of the best anchor</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> to </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">help you </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">come back to the present moment is </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">your</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> breath. Where ever you are, pause, </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">and </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">take a fews </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">deep </span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mindful breath</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">. A</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">nd remember, a</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> thousand miles journey start</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Arial, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> one breath at a time!</span></span></span></p>