Mindfulness in March

Mindfulness (noun)

1 - the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.

2 - a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one's feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique.

Mindfulness is a type of meditation in which you focus on being aware of what you're sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgement. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.

Mindfulness can be tricky when we first start incorporating the act into our day to day routine... we are so used to our minds wandering, and we will often be tempted to fix on a thought or a feeling, judge it as good or bad, or work hard to analyse (and over analyse) or even try to change it. Don't. Allow yourself to have the though, acknowledge it and then release it.

If you haven’t practiced mindfulness before, try to replace any judgement you might have about whether or not you’re doing it properly, with acknowledgement that you are doing the very best you can in the moment. What’s important is that you are doing it.....the rest will come with practice and time. The more you practice mindfulness, the easier it will become to stay present and focus your attention on where you want it, rather than on wherever your mind might take you. The more you do it, the more you will benefit from it.

There are many and varied ways to achieve mindfulness....lets explore just a few of them shall we?

Download an app
There are quite a few apps on the market that contain guided mindfulness sessions. Smiling Mind is a free and was developed by psychologists and health professionals...do some research and find one that suits you and your needs (yoga, meditation...there are plenty of choices out there..just find something that resonates with you.

Focus on your breath
Get yourself comfy and start to breathe strong, deep, slow breaths. Make sure that your belly is moving up and down as you breathe. Be aware of what is happening in your body as you inhale and exhale....acknowledge your thoughts if they come - let them in, and then let them go. If your mind happens drift, acknowledge that your mind has wandered, acknowledge where it went, and bring your focus back to your breath. Don't try to rush the moment, allow yourself to be fully present and in that moment.

Take a walk
Walking is something we automatically do...without thought. To walk mindfully, allows you to focus your attention on the actual experience of walking - feel the ground beneath you as you walk...activate and engage your senses as you do this – allow yourself to notice the sights, the sounds, the smells. It's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle...allow yourself to stop and appreciate the beautiful things that surround you.

'Mindful' eating
Like walking, eating is another thing we do automatically, and in most cases, while we are doing something else, such as talking, thinking, reading or watching television. Who's guilt of not even really 'tasting' their food...it's just something we need to do to survive. Well, by eating mindfully, it teaches us to remove any distractions and sit uninterrupted with our food eating companions. Eating mindfully means we take our time over a meal - eating slowly so we savour the flavours, the smell and even the textures. We reconnecting with our senses.

As soon as we bring our full attention to the experience of eating, our mind stops wandering about what we need to after dinner or the stresses of the day....in a nutshell, we allow ourselves to be re-acquainted with the pleasure of eating. Bon Appetit

Do what you love - whether it’s eating, reading, walking, cooking, taking a warm bath, being with friends – whatever you like to do...do it with your complete and undivided attention

It is also worth noting, mindfulness cannot eliminate the stress from our lives, but what it can do is give us a powerful set of techniques and practices that help us manage our stress methodically and creatively.