David Spound
Valley Mindfulness
509 Fairway Village
Leeds, MA 01053-9745
Please see the Programs page for location of classes and workshops.
Phone and voice mail:
(413) 219-0654
Email:
Why Mindfulness Matters
These days, it is easy to receive frequent, external messages that our lives should be different than how they are, and we may also feel that way on the inside. We may react by engaging in unhealthy behaviors that help us tune out the difficulties and pain that we do not want to experience. We may feel tempted to purchase products and services that are supposed to make us happy. We may find ourselves yearning and struggling for a sense of control. For any number of reasons, we may be reluctant to experience our lives as they are.
Mindfulness practices help us develop the courage, the willingness, and the compassion to experience our lives as they are. New perspectives develop that can be very empowering. People who engage in mindfulness practices on a regular basis often report a greater sense of confidence in meeting the challenges of their lives. They note that physical pain, illness and stress become less problematic. In many clinical studies, participants have reported an improved sense of health and well-being.
Although people cultivate mindfulness within their own minds and bodies, the benefits are not for the reactionary alone. As we experience the innate wisdom that accompanies experiencing ourselves with clarity and compassion, our relationships with others are also affected. Therefore, mindfulness practice is not only for the individual, it can help heal the ills of our society.
