Experts decode the art of mindfulness

At the 5th edition of e4m Women Achievers Summit, experts come together to discuss a distinctive topic - The Art of Mindfulness. The session had an amazing and experienced set of panellists including Dr. Milinder Kaur Bedi, MA – Psychology, Healing Minds, Ms. Kim Jagtiani, Counselling Psychologist, Former Television Host, Writer & Producer, Dr. Sandeep Govil, Expert psychiatrist, moderated by Amit Arora, Head of Corporate Communications & Public Relations, Housing.com. 

Amit began by explaining the current scenario of screen age in which we are always surrounded by screens in every moment of our lives. He defined it as one of the biggest distractors for almost all ages. 

Kim started the discussion by defining mindfulness briefly, “Mindfulness is being fully present in this moment and being aware of what we are doing and what we are experiencing without judgment.”

Moving ahead, Dr Kaur shared her view on mindfulness and elaborated on the thought that in today's modern world, being digitalized has become the core lifestyle. But being mindful is the only antidote to handling yourself digitally well. She further stated an example, “When you are walking on the road, there is so much traffic around you, yet you are aware of where you have to go, right? That itself is being mindful. It is nothing extraordinary that we need to learn anew. Instead, we simply need to reflect inwardly and think about what we are actually doing at this moment.”

Dr Govil agreed with the thoughts shared by his fellow panellists on mindfulness and further highlighted some helpful ways in which people can practice and adapt mindfulness. “Mindfulness can start from anywhere like enjoying your morning tea, appreciating the fresh air, feeling the pleasant morning breeze. One technique people can follow is called mindful walking. It involves walking with a sense of compassion, self-reflection, and gratitude for what we have in the present moment. It requires a conscious effort, a digital detox, and a free will,” he advised.

Dr Kaur also guided, “When you have a wave of thoughts coming to you there are so many things going on, all you need to do is to just be there, experience it, accept it and let it go. This is one of the ways we can practice mindfulness.”

Kim also shared some techniques she does to practice mindfulness and incorporate it into her life, “Five times a week, I practice pranayama and yoga. I take some time to sit quietly, reflect, and introspect. I've let go of the idea of perfectionism and perfection. I'm kind to my mind when it wanders, even when I'm trying to focus. I try to look at things with a gentle and nurturing perspective.”

Throughout the discussion, all the panellists shared numerous interesting facts, benefits, and techniques of mindfulness. They even engaged with the audience and taught them how to do a few mindfulness exercises. And further discussed how artificial intelligence or the new apps or tech is helping people in being mindful.

Kim concluded the discussion by emphasising that human touch is irreplaceable. “AI can enhance productivity, creativity, and convenience. But the bottom line is that AI does not yet possess awareness, free will, or emotion. Emotion can be detected to a certain degree, but AI cannot feel or understand emotion,” she asserted.