Meditation too Hard? Try Mindfulness!

09-30-19

Mindfulness reawakens oneself to the present than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. Mindfulness occurs when one becomes aware of the present moment, while maintaining a calm state of acknowledging and accepting one’s own feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. A person who is in a mindful state can maintain a state of peace and not become overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around them.

The goal of mindfulness is to wake up the inner workings of our mind, mentality, emotions and physical process. In this sense, everyone naturally possess mindfulness, but, it’s easier to achieve this state if its practice on a daily basis. Training your brain to be mindful helps remodel the structure of one’s brain. It can also be utilized as a healthy way to identify and manage emotions that become problematic.

Mindfulness is often combined with meditation and other types of therapy. There are many benefits, such as lowering stress levels, reducing harmful rumination, cope with rejection and social isolation and protects against depression and anxiety.

How to practice mindfulness

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. No one is right or wrong. It is up to each individual to discover what works best for them. Here are just a few suggestions:

Breathing Method 1:
Sit down and take deep breaths. Focus on each breath and the sensations of the movements.
Feel how your chest rises and falls. Feel how the air fills the bottom to the top and then releases from the top to the bottom.

Breathing Method 2:
Sit down and take deep breaths. With each inhale, count from 1 to 4.
Pause as you count from 1 to 4.
With each exhale, count from 1 to 4.
Pause as you count from 1 to 4.
Repeat as necessary.

Visualization with Breathing Method:
In this method you’ll visualize drawing a box.
Sit down and take deep breaths. With each inhale as you count from 1 to 4 imagine drawing a line.
Pause 2 seconds.
With each exhale as you count from 1 to 4 imagine drawing a line.
Pause 2 seconds.
Repeat until you have drawn a box.

Taking in your Surroundings:
Sit down and take deep breaths. Feel the sensations of the moment, such as sounds, scents, temperature, and feelings of air passing in and out of your body.

You may notice during your practice that your attention may shift to thoughts and emotions that you are experiencing. Allow each of these sensations to exist without putting negativity to it or judging. Sit with the thoughts. The experience may evoke an emotional reaction. When you explore the responses you will have an opportunity to address and resolve any underlying challenges.

How to utilize mindfulness in your daily life:

You can utilize mindfulness in every moment, whether in meditations or as part of a body scan. Next time when your phone rings or you get a text message or notifications, take a moment to pause and breathe instead of rushing to answer it.