Intro to Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness has a plethora of physical and mental benefits, and has been becoming a buzzword as of late, but what exactly does it mean? By definition it means:
the quality or state of being conscious or aware of something.
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.
Some of the benefits include a decrease in stress, anxiety and depression, increase of mental function and capacity, and an increase in immunity. And that is just to name a few.
As a society, there are two things that prevent us from being mindful, multi-tasking and technology. We commend multi-tasking. In fact, it is a positive attribute on resumes, but do you really want an employee that doesn't give 100% of attention to the tasks at hand? I am guilty of multi-tasking often. Whether it's on the phone while responding to emails and thinking about what I want for lunch, or holding a conversation while watching TV and scrolling through Facebook. At the end, I won't remember what was talked about, or what I watched or what I saw on Facebook. Speaking of Facebook, we are addicted to technology. We as a society are buried in our phones not taking the time or opportunity to see the beauty in the world around us. Not feeling the breeze, appreciating sunsets, or talking to the people around you. In fact, there was a guy at the college football championship who missed his moment on TV because his head was in his phone. Talk about bummer.
So now that we know what it means and the benefits, how do we do it?
There are many ways to accomplish mindfulness, but it’s important to remember that just like yoga, mindfulness and meditation is a practice with no goal to check off at the end. There is no “I’ve been practicing for years and finally nailed it!” It is the process of trying that does the trick.
Simply put, the act of bringing awareness to the senses, what you see, hear, feel or even taste is mindfulness. Here is a short meditation to give you an example. Just 2-5 minutes of that and you will feel refreshed.
Wherever you are or whatever you’re doing, take a moment, take a big inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Close your eyes and bring your attention to your breath, breathing in and out through your nose. Continuing with the intentional breath, feel your feet on the floor, hear the noises that may be around you. Feel your body move with your breath. Expanding as you inhale and going soft as your exhale. Sit here for a few moments. Thoughts will pop up and that’s okay. Just acknowledge it, let it pass, and bringing your attention back to your breath. After a few moments, slowly open your eyes.
There are a ton of great apps out there that assist with guided meditation. My favorite is Headspace. It is by the author of the book Headspace, Andy Puddicombe, who is the narrator on the app. His voice is so soothing; your meditation time will fly by.
Another one I have used is Stop, Breathe & Think. What I liked about this app is that you could select how you are feeling and it will design meditations around those feelings. There is also a variety sessions available that aren't connected to your daily feelings. (There is also a kids version of this app. Parents, check it out. Free in the app store.)
Stay tuned for more mindfulness and mediation tips to improve your overall mental and physical health. Have a great practice, stay mindful and as always, flow yogi flow!
