Most of us did not grow up with mindfulness prioritized as an integral part of our home, school, and social lives. We may have been taught to practice mindfulness-related virtues, such as compassion and patience, but the fundamental practice of paying open attention to our experience was likely an afterthought.
Now as adults, many of us are starting to ask questions such as, ‘What is mindfulness anyway?’ and ‘Can mindfulness change my life?’ As we dig into the ancient wisdom of this approach to life, many people come to see mindfulness as a kind of superpower, an ability that can change how we relate to our lives.
The Power of Mindfulness
If you’re wondering how or why mindfulness is a superpower, it is first worth considering that some research suggests mindfulness practice may be associated with changes in the body, including in brain activity and stress hormones. It might seem like a simple practice, though this research is still developing.
This understanding runs contrary to what most of us were raised to believe – that to change our lives for the better, we must do more or attain something that we don’t already have. However, through mindfulness practice, we realize that our power arises from within. And, it is when we are able to pause, to listen, and to pay attention that we reconnect with strengths that have been within us all along.
6 Reasons Why Mindfulness is a Superpower
To jump right into it, here are some of the reasons for declaring mindfulness a super strength:
Mindfulness may reshape the brain.
Research on neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to change with experience, is one reason mindfulness is taken seriously. Some studies suggest that mindfulness practices may change the brain’s networks over time. When we practice mindfulness and its associated virtues (such as gratitude and compassion), we may strengthen those mental pathways. Over time, this can help us embody these virtues more deeply in our everyday lives.
Mindfulness teaches us to respond rather than react.
When we are less than mindful, we tend to react unconsciously to outside stimulus (such as the weather of the day or an unkind comment from someone at work). Through mindfulness practice, we become more aware of our emotions, our habitual responses, our beliefs, and our thought patterns. This awareness gives us more room to choose how we want to respond to life’s happenings.
Mindfulness connects us to our inner peace.
When practiced continually and with commitment, mindfulness can open our eyes to the inner peace that lives beneath the waves of thoughts and emotions. It enables us to sink below or rise above the currents of the mind in order to get a new perspective. This new perspective can help us feel the inner peace that has been with us all along.
Mindfulness can quiet the racing mind.
Though the goal of mindfulness is not to manipulate or forcefully change our experience, it is through practice that we discover the tools required to quiet the thinking mind with compassion and courage. In other words, mindfulness practice makes it easier for us to detach from the busyness of the mind and tune into the silence inside. Mindfulness exercises for anxiety and stress reduction can help in this regard.
Mindfulness can help us to heal.
Mindfulness practice can help us to heal by revealing to us the parts of ourselves that are in need of love, tenderness, and care. For many, this can be a frightening process as we will sooner or later come into contact with the limiting beliefs and stories that have been negatively impacting us for too long. Because of this, care should be taken where past trauma is present. Compassion-based practices can help us to ease into this work, grounding us in self-love and patience as we deepen self-awareness. Mindfulness can complement, but does not replace, care from a licensed mental health professional.
Mindfulness can never be taken from us.
Lastly, one of the most important reasons why mindfulness is a superpower is that it is something we can hold onto through both the good and the bad times. It is not conditional upon external circumstances, and no one can take it away from us. It is available to us regardless of what we are facing. All that mindfulness requires is our openness, our attention, and our willingness to tune into the moment as it unfolds.
