Mindfulness

The dictionary definition of mindfulness is.....

“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 has become increasingly popular in the West over the past few years, as the pressures of life mean that we are becoming more stressed and our mental health is deteriorating. Of course, the obvious answer to this is to change your lifestyle so that you are not under so much pressure, but for the majority of people this isn’t an option as they are locked in to a lifestyle that demands high achievement and a significant monthly salary, sometimes just to keep your head above water! Therefore, the next best thing is to make room in your schedule for something that will give some respite and hopefully foster a habit of making time for yourself. It may only be 10 minutes a day, to begin with, but as you become ‘mindful’ you will find it comes in to your life in a number of other ways.

How to be mindful

Mindfulness is quite similar to meditation, but a little less hardcore!!

Its does not require any specialist equipment, you don’t have to be anywhere specific and it’s not about doing it right/wrong or any other way. It is purely about what works for you and how you can create a space for yourself where you are nurtured, calm and loved.

What does it require

At first you will need to dedicate a set amount of time each day in order to do your ‘practice’. It’s really important to set yourself an achievable target. I would suggest that 10 minutes when you wake in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening or before bed.

Have a trawl through the myriad of apps that are available and find one to try out. You should be able to get an idea of what they are about by their description. I would recommend having something to follow to begin with as it makes it much easier.

If you can do it at roughly the same time and in the same space it will help with forming the habit.

Have a candle or something in front of you so you have something to focus on. It’s a good way to quieten the mind.

Things to Remember

This is not meditation. You don’t need to ‘go somewhere’ or have any type of experience. 

You do not need to clear your mind.  As the thoughts come in to your head acknowledge them and put them to one side. You will get a stream of thoughts coming through, but this is ok. This is a good time for your brain to do a bit of filing.

Each time you become aware of having wandered off, just bring yourself back by focusing on the candle or on your breath if you are using breathing techniques.

How to do it

If you’ve not managed to find an app that works for you, then you can try following the instructions below.

• Find a place where you can sit down – either floor or chair, or anything else, so long as you are comfortable. Make sure you will not get interrupted  - this is your time, everyone and everything else will still be there when you’ve finished.

• Starting with your toes, work your way up through the body, looking (in your mind’s eye) at each part and become aware of how they feel, can you feel them touching something else – eg the floor? 

• As you are sat there you may find yourself becoming more and more uncomfortable. Just adjust yourself to make yourself comfy again.

• Become aware of your breath and how it goes in and out. There is a correct way to breathe – see below:

• Breathe in slowly through your nose and place a hand on your stomach and one on your chest. On your breath in, your stomach should move out as your lungs fill with air. 

• Let the breath out slowly through the mouth and feel the stomach go back down again

• Use your breath as a way of getting your mind back in to ‘now’ if it starts to wander

• As you start to get used to the Mindfulness practice you can extend the times and eventually you will find that you can bring yourself in to a mindful state just by thinking about it.