Wands Out! Here’s How Harry Potter and Mindfulness Are Connected

Mindfulness is a long-used practice of being fully present that’s gaining mainstream popularity. Mindfulness is a practice that’s impacting the world in a seriously positive way.
 
With the recent 20th anniversary of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, it seems only natural to reflect back on what, for a lot of us, was a childhood filled with some of the greatest, most impactful stories ever written.
 
It wasn’t until my personal reflection on my Harry Potter-filled childhood that I realized the impact those stories had on my life . . . and how they continue to impact me 15 years later . . .
 

A Childhood Perspective Influenced By Harry Potter

It wasn’t until my personal reflection on my Harry Potter-filled childhood that I realized that, although I have only been a yoga and mindfulness instructor for two years, I have actually been practicing mindfulness since I read that first book.
 
Professor Snape said it best when he said, “The mind is not a book to be opened at will and examined at leisure.”
 
This is arguably one of the best quotes from the Harry Potter series. Of course, J.K. Rowling has given us so many amazing quotes in this series it is almost impossible to choose just one favorite. But more to come on that in a bit . . .
 

Mindfulness in a Nutshell

Mindfulness is the intentional awareness of thoughts and feelings. It is being fully immersed in the present moment, recognizing and understanding your thoughts and feelings, and living your experiences to the fullest.
 
Our minds are always at work. They never shut down. Our minds have the power to create a good day or a bad day – they can make us feel anxious or happy. They can take us deep into the trenches or high to the sky.
 
Our minds are powerful. But also controllable. That is why practicing mindfulness is so important. We must always be mindful about how we are thinking, feeling, and acting. We must also be mindful about how our thoughts, feelings, and actions affect us and those around us.
 
Some of the many benefits of practicing mindfulness include: reduced anxiety and stress, improved self-awareness, better focus and attention, and better sleep – just to name a few.
 
Interested in learning the immense benefits of mindfulness and meditation on the brain? Check out these 5 Important Benefits of Meditation on the Brain
 

How Harry Potter, Yoga, and Mindfulness Are Connected

For those of us that grew up in the Harry Potter generation, mindfulness is something we learned and practiced without even realizing it.
 
Quotes and storylines from the books and movies centered around friendship, love, empathy, loyalty, kindness, critical thinking, and bravery – all things that practicing mindfulness will also teach us.
 
Harry Potter taught us how to build positive relationships by being empathetic and non-judgemental. Here are a few quotes to demonstrate:
 
”Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.”
 
Because working together is better than acting alone: “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.”
 
Harry Potter also taught us that life is hard, and that difficult choices sometimes need to be made:
 
“We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy.”
 
But that it is our choices that make us who we are: “It is our choices that show who we really are, far more than our abilities.”
 
On the concept of Namaste, as we so often say and reflect on in our yoga practice: “We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.”
 
Harry Potter taught us to reach for the stars, and to never give up: “Anything is possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”
 
And, perhaps most importantly, Harry Potter taught us that we can always find happiness, even in the dark times.
 
“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light.”
 

Bring Mindfulness Into Your Daily Life

Mindfulness is where the magic happens. Where we learn to be ourselves, to be curious and kind, to remain anchored in our power to be present and create the reality we seek.
 
Hold on to the love, joy, and peace your practice brings you. And just like Harry Potter did, embrace the magic inside of you.
 

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