Mindfulness
“Mindfulness and meditation: can help to improve memory, regulate emotions and reduce overwhelm.
Many people are aware of the benefits of meditation and mindfulness to well-being. You may already have your own practice or have experienced it as part of a yoga class, or you may never have intentionally approached your life with mindfulness.
Mindfulness and meditation, although interwoven, are different. Meditation is usually an intentional sitting practice. There are many different types of meditation, and they can last from five minutes to several hours. Some are calming and some are insightful. Some to embody wholehearted tenderness towards self and others, such as loving kindness, compassion or forgiveness. These can be known as ‘Open Heart’ meditations. Research shows that after eight weeks of regular meditation there are beneficial changes in your Brain.
Mindfulness is a way to engage consciously with the world around you as you go about your daily life. Everything can be done with mindful awareness – for example, while you are washing the dishes, filling the car with fuel or drinking a cup of coffee, your mind is present, focused on the task or moment in hand. Mindfulness is loving, kind and free of judgement, and about being absolutely in the present. Try this simple mindfulness exercise…
Be present
Take a moment to be where you are now. Notice your breathing – do not alter your breathing in any way, just notice. Now expand your awareness in that moment… notice where you are sitting or lying, notice any sounds that come into your awareness. If you find your mind wandering, perhaps, to work, your children or your to-do-list, go back to your breath. The breath you have now will always bring you back to where you are in each moment.
You can do this exercise at any moment that you find your mind wandering, or if you feel stressed or anxious. It can also be helpful to have a mantra such as “breathing in and breathing out” to help focus your mind on our breathing.
If you haven’t done a seated meditation before and you are considering it, think about what may be stopping you. Is it time? Is it confidence? Is it discomfort? Getting started can be easy. Begin with just five or ten minutes in the morning and you can increase that as you get more used to the practice. You don’t have to sit on the floor, seated upright on a chair is fine. To help you could…
- Download an app and start with a guided meditation.
- Do a mindfulness course or eight-week challenge.
- Join a meditation group to meet others and get support
Tip: Can you find somewhere in your home that is set aside for meditation. Perhaps a particular chair or cushion? This can help to create a regular habit.”
I have experienced the benefits of this lifestyle practice and am always looking for new material to draw from. I will be sharing any text that excites me throughout my own journey which you can find within our Blog under Mindfulness.
Take this opportunity and use your treatment time to build on or introduce mindfulness practice at the start of your treatment and further enhance its benefits.
