Do you find yourself getting caught up in a stressful state of mind that makes it hard to enjoy your family, friends and other simple joys of life––a beautiful sunrise, cool winter air on your face, the taste of good food, your child’s recount of their day, the warmth and tenderness of a hug?
Do you lose trust in yourself and make life harder for yourself at home, on the road or at work by working, overthinking or being too hard on yourself?
Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment. Mindfulness meditation has scientifically been shown to be a key element in happiness.
Mentally and Emotionally Practicing Mindfulness Helps:
- Cultivate positive attitudes––like compassion, acceptance, patience, forgiveness––that contribute to a satisfied life.
- Savour the pleasures in life, to more fully engage in activities, and to handle life’s difficulties with more ease.
- Get less caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past, or what others think about you.
- Form deep connections with others.
Mindfulness has been shown to improve physical health
- reduce stress
- treat heart disease
- lower blood pressure
- reduce chronic pain
- improve sleep
- alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties
Mindfulness meditation can be an important component in the psychological treatment of:
- depression
Stressed and not getting along? - substance abuse
- eating disorders
- couples’ conflicts
- anxiety disorders
- obsessive-compulsive disorder
| Basic Mindfulness Techniques |
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There is more than one way to practice mindfulness, but the goal of any mindfulness technique is to achieve a state of alert, focused relaxation by deliberately paying attention to thoughts and sensations without judgment. This allows the mind to refocus on the present moment. All mindfulness techniques are a form of meditation. |
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Basic mindfulness meditation – Sit quietly and focus on your natural breathing or on a word or “mantra” that you repeat silently. Allow thoughts to come and go without judgment and return to your focus on breath or mantra. |
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Body sensations – Notice subtle body sensations such as an itch or tingling without judgment and let them pass. Notice each part of your body in succession from head to toe. |
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Sensory – Notice sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches. Name them “sight,” “sound,” “smell,” “taste,” or “touch” without judgment and let them go. |
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Emotions – Allow emotions to be present without judgment. Practice a steady and relaxed naming of emotions: “joy,” “anger,” “frustration.” Accept the presence of the emotions without judgment and let them go. |
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Urge surfing – Cope with cravings (for addictive substances or behaviors) and allow them to pass. Notice how your body feels as the craving enters. Replace the wish for the craving to go away with the certain knowledge that it will subside. |
Getting started on your own
Some types of meditation primarily involve concentration—repeating a phrase or focusing on the sensation of breathing, allowing the parade of thoughts that inevitably arise to come and go. Concentration meditation techniques, as well as other activities such as tai chi or yoga, can induce the well-known relaxation response, which is very valuable in reducing the body’s response to stress.
Mindfulness meditation builds upon concentration practices. Here’s how it works:
- Go with the flow – In mindfulness meditation, once you establish concentration, you observe the flow of inner thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations without judging them as good or bad.
- Stillness and Silence – We realise more inner stillness and silence by being the silent still awareness that allows all internal and external sensory phenomena to come and go.
- Open attention – If you notice you get lost in particular idea, emotion, or sensation, or to get caught in thinking about the past or the future, bring your awareness back to your breath. The continue being aware of what comes and goes in your mind, and rest as the aware presence that does not come or go.
- Common sense – As you calmly observe your mind your common sense will naturally notice which mental habits contribute to well-being or suffering.
- Be patient – At times, this process may not seem relaxing at all, but over time it provides a key to greater happiness and self-awareness as you become comfortable with a wider and wider range of your experiences.
Practice acceptance
Above all, mindfulness practice involves accepting whatever arises in your awareness at each moment. It involves being kind and forgiving toward yourself.
By practicing accepting your experience during meditation, it becomes easier to accept whatever comes your way during the rest of your day. Mindfulness meditation is the practice of nonjudgemental awareness that helps us become more discerning of what is useful and beneficial about our approach to life and what isn’t.
Cultivate mindfulness informally
In addition to formal meditation, you can also cultivate mindfulness informally by focusing your attention on your moment-to-moment sensations during everyday activities. This is done by single-tasking—doing one thing at a time and giving it your full attention. As you floss your teeth, pet the dog, or eat an apple, slow down the process and be fully present as it unfolds and involves all of your senses.
Practicing mindfulness meditation
This exercise teaches basic mindfulness meditation.
- Sit on a straight-backed chair or cross-legged on the floor.
- Focus on an aspect of your breathing, such as the sensations of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth, or your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.
- Once you’ve narrowed your concentration in this way, begin to widen your focus. Become aware of sounds, sensations, and your ideas.
- Embrace and consider each thought or sensation without judging it good or bad. If your mind starts to wander, gently return your focus to your breathing. Then expand your awareness again.
Invest in yourself
Like playing a sport or learning a musical instrument, the more time you put into it the better you become and the more benefit you will derive.
Mindfully learning to stay in the present
A less formal approach to mindfulness can also help you to stay in the present and fully participate in your life. You can choose any task or moment to practice informal mindfulness, whether you are eating, showering, walking, touching a partner, or playing with a child or grandchild. Attending to these points will help:
- Start by bringing your attention to the sensations in your body
- Allow your breath to be felt in your lower belly. Let your abdomen expand fully.
- Notice the sensations of each inhalation and exhalation
- Proceed with the task at hand slowly and with full deliberation
- Engage your senses fully. Notice each sight, touch, and sound so that you savor every sensation.
- When you notice that your mind has wandered from the task at hand, gently bring your attention back to the sensations of the moment.
Adapted from Positive Psychology: Harnessing the Power of Happiness, Personal Strength, and Mindfulness, a special health report published by Harvard Health Publications.
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