Mindfulness: The Practice of Accepting What Is

By Naomi M. | Purple Phoenix Wellness

 

How Mindfulness Heals by Helping Us Stop Resisting Life

We spend so much of our lives in resistance. Resisting the past. Fearing the future. Arguing with what is. We say things like,
“This shouldn’t have happened.” “I should be further ahead.” “I’ll be happy when…” But mindfulness offers us a new way.
A way to breathe into the moment—not because it’s perfect, but because it’s real. A way to stop running and finally arrive.

What Is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing gentle, non-judgmental awareness to the present moment.

It’s about being fully here—awake to what you're doing, feeling, thinking, and sensing, without trying to change it. It doesn’t ask you to fix, avoid, or analyze. It asks you to notice. To witness. To simply say, “This is what’s here right now.”

Why Mindfulness Matters

We often think peace comes from controlling our outer world—but real peace comes from shifting how we relate to our inner world. Mindfulness helps you:

  • Stop spiraling in the past or future

  • Release the exhausting habit of resistance

  • See your thoughts, emotions, and reactions with clarity

  • Feel emotions without being consumed by them

  • Build resilience, nervous system regulation, and inner spaciousness

It doesn't remove pain—but it reduces the suffering we create by fighting what already is.

The Heart of Mindfulness: Accepting What Is

At its core, mindfulness is about seeing clearly. And with clarity often comes acceptance. This doesn't mean giving up or liking every situation—it means acknowledging reality without pushing it away. When we stop saying “this shouldn’t be happening” and start saying “this is happening,” something shifts. We become less reactive. Less rigid. More open. More compassionate—with ourselves and others. Mindfulness invites us to feel the truth without flinching, and in doing so, frees up energy that was trapped in denial, fear, or tension.

How Meditation Supports Mindfulness

Meditation is one of the most powerful tools for cultivating mindfulness. In meditation, we practice being with:

  • The breath

  • Sensations in the body

  • Our thoughts—without getting caught in them

  • Emotions—without running from them

By being still and noticing what arises, we learn to befriend the moment. We learn that discomfort passes. That we are not our thoughts. That we don’t have to control everything to be okay. Meditation becomes the training ground for living mindfully in daily life—so when something unexpected happens, your nervous system doesn’t panic… it breathes.

Living Mindfully in Daily Life

You don’t have to meditate for hours to be mindful. You can start here:

  • Pause before reacting. Ask: “What am I feeling right now?”

  • Eat a meal without distractions. Notice taste, texture, breath.

  • Name what’s here. “This is anxiety. This is sadness. This is okay.”

  • Take 3 deep breaths before speaking, responding, or deciding.

  • Feel your feet on the earth when the world feels too fast.

Mindfulness isn’t a technique—it’s a relationship with the now. One you build with practice, patience, and presence.

Ready to Begin?

If you're longing to feel more grounded, more present, and more at peace with your own life, I invite you to explore mindfulness and meditation with me.

At Purple Phoenix Wellness, I offer:

  • Weekly group meditation sessions (virtual & in-person)

  • 1:1 mindfulness-based meditation support

  • Recorded guided meditations for your personal practice

  • Nature-based mindfulness practices through forest therapy

Whether you're grieving, healing, awakening, or simply feeling overwhelmed—this practice will meet you exactly where you are.

Explore sessions here ➡️ Have questions or want to connect? Schedule a call here➡️