Tag Archives: Mindfulness

Mindfulness

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“Mindfulness is about being fully aware of your experiences as they are happening in the present moment. You are aware of your thoughts, emotions, and your body sensations.” Charles A. Francis

Webster’s 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 is a secular form of meditation that has its roots in the teachings of Buddha over 2,500 years ago. The main goal of the practice was to attain freedom from suffering. This is accomplished by developing self-awareness, or mindfulness, because it was your inaccurate views of the world that trigger your negative emotions and harmful actions.

With mindfulness, you can develop an awareness of the true nature of reality. By observing what is happening within your mind, body, and the world around you, you’ll begin to lift the veil of illusion that creates the suffering in your life, states Charles A. Francis, co-founder and director of the Mindfulness Meditation Institute.

4 Simple Mindfulness Practices

Mindfulness is a powerful practice that can help you avoid a lot of unnecessary anxiety and negative thoughts, writes Francis. It will enable you to cope with life’s many challenges and help you find peace and joy. Here are some of the simple tools you can use, according to Francis.

Mindful breathing. At the heart of the mindfulness practice is mindful breathing. Paying close attention to your breath will help you calm your thoughts and emotions. It will keep you from becoming overwhelmed. All you have to do is occasionally stop what you’re doing, and just observe your breath for a few moments. You can count 5-10 breaths, and then return to what you were doing. That’s it.

Mindful walking. This is another simple practice. Unless you have mobility issues, we all do some walking throughout our day. When walking from one place to another, pay close attention to your footsteps, just like you do with your breath in mindful breathing. If the weather is nice, you can go for a mindful walk. Try keeping yourself in the moment by observing your surroundings. Notice the different sights and sounds of nature. Focus on smelling the fresh air and observing all the critters, both large and small.

Your mind affects your body, and your body affects your mind, perhaps more than you realize.

Sitting meditation. Many people have the misconception that meditation is difficulty, and that they need to clear their mind before they can start meditating. That’s not so. Sitting meditation is actually quite simple. All you have to do is sit quietly for a few minutes, and follow your breath as best as you can. When your mind wanders off, and it will, just keep bring it back to your breathing.

If you’re new to meditation, try it for just 5-10 minutes each session. Then increase the duration as you’re able. Remember, you don’t have to do it perfectly. The ideas is to give your mind a break from the constant stimulation, and simply allow it to calm down naturally. And it will.

Writing meditation. This is a practice helps you overcome stubborn habits that are preventing you from being at peace. What you do is take the scripted meditation, which is a set of affirmations, and copy it by hand over and over. This will imprint the affirmations in your subconscious mind, and they will manifest themselves in your life without any conscious effort. And it only takes about 5 minutes a day.

An article in Fast Company, called How the Pope Does Mindfulness, revealed how company executive Drake Baer practices mindfulness. He practices daily “mindfulness” by:

  • First, remind yourself why you are grateful as a human being.
  • Second, lift your horizon for a moment. Call to mind some crucial personal objective, or your deepest sense of purpose, or the values you stand for.
  • Third, mentally review the last few hours and extract some insight that might help in the next few hours. If you were agitated, what was going on inside you? If you were distracted and unproductive, why?

You can use this executive’s short method and practice mindfulness several times a day. It is beneficial to focus on the present.

References:

  1. https://time.com/4184938/mindfulness/
  2. https://www.catholiccompany.com/magazine/turn-mindfulness-into-god-full-ness-5908
  3. https://mindfulnessmeditationinstitute.org/the-mindfulness-meditation-practice/what-is-mindfulness-meditation/
  4. https://mindfulnessmeditationinstitute.org/2022/07/14/7-powerful-mindfulness-tips-for-better-coping-with-grief/

Mindfulness: Being Mindful

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Research suggests mindfulness influences how you interpret the world.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~ Nelson Mandela

To live mindfully is to live in the moment and reawaken oneself to the present, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. To be mindful is to observe and label thoughts, feelings, sensations in the body in an objective manner.

Mindfulness can help you achieve greater understanding, which in and of itself will bring you peace. It will also help you develop greater inner strength. This will enable you to make better choices in your lives, which will lead to a healthier and more fulfilling life. Being Mindful can mean meditating or simply stopping to smell the roses.

Mindfulness encompasses two key ingredients: awareness and acceptance.

  • Awareness is the knowledge and ability to focus attention on one’s inner processes and experiences, such as the experience of the present moment.
  • Acceptance is the ability to observe and accept—rather than judge or avoid—those streams of thought.

Studies show mindfulness slashes stress, relieves pain, and improves your mood. And scientists are beginning to understand how. One study found that 8 weeks of regular meditation and being mindful can change parts of your brain related to emotions, learning, and memory. Even washing dishes can be good for your brain, as long as you do it mindfully.

As you develop mindfulness through your practice, your emotions will naturally change. The reason is that you begin to identify less with your ego, and you begin to see more clearly your connection with the rest of the world. And when you truly see this interconnection, your loneliness will disappear.

Through mindfulness, your anger and frustration will also subside. As you meditate, your mind will naturally calm down. This will reduce the mental agitation that triggers your unhealthy emotions. They will be replaced with more wholesome emotions, such as love, compassion, and joy.

“Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh

The more you practice mindfulness meditation, the deeper your understanding of your emotions will be. When you are truly mindful, you are aware of when your emotions arise, what your sources are, and have the inner strength to resist the temptation to fuel the negative emotions, and be able to cultivate the positive ones. This will lead to greater equanimity.

Mindfulness of Your Mind

As you get older, your mental abilities begin to decline. Your memory, concentration, and reasoning ability slowly diminish. This is an inevitable sad truth about growing old. However, not all of your mental decline is due to age, and there is a lot we can do to slow this decline.

Studies have shown that mindfulness meditation helps preserve and even improve your mental abilities. Mindfulness meditation can improve your memory, concentration, and abstract thinking. Several studies have shown that even small amounts of meditation can have a significant impact. The impact is even greater with years of practice.

In addition to mindfulness, another thing you can do to preserve your mind is to keep it active. However, not all mental activity is equally beneficial. Mental activities that require little use of your mind, such as crossword puzzles, have little effect. What has the most impact is learning a new skill, such as a new language. Learning a new skill forces your brain to create new neural pathways.

Proper nutrition can also have a tremendous impact on your mental abilities. This is more a matter of giving your brain what it needs to function at an optimal level. For example, your brain needs a fair amount of protein and fat to work properly. You also need plenty of fluids. When you’re dehydrated, which many of you are, your memory and concentration are greatly diminished.

Physical activity will also improve your mental abilities. In order for oxygen and nutrients to reach your brain, they have to be transported there through our blood, and physical activity improves the blood flow to the brain. You don’t need to do a lot of exercise to get the health benefits. Sometimes just walking regularly is enough to improve the blood flow.

Mindfulness encompasses awareness and acceptance, which helps you understand and cope with uncomfortable emotions, allowing you to gain control and relief. To cultivate these skills, concentrate on breathing to lengthen and deepen your breaths. Notice your thoughts and feelings, and practice curiosity and self-compassion.

References:

  1. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness
  2. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/ss/twelve-habits-super-healthy-people
  3. https://mindfulnessmeditationinstitute.org/2020/12/05/find-greater-happiness-in-your-retirement-through-mindfulness/

Mindfulness and Wellness

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“Mindfulness is about being fully awake in our lives. It is about perceiving the exquisite vividness of each moment. We also gain immediate access to our own powerful inner resources for insight, transformation, and healing.” ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

We need to adopt the practice of mindfulness in every realm of our lives.

Mindfulness is a way of being, of experiencing life, that is alert, awake, and present. It is the quality or trait of being aware of what’s happening, in the present moment, without judging your experience or needing to change it. 

Mindfulness is shown to reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus, and provide many other benefits.

“With this self-awareness, you’re able respond appropriately to the present moment instead of simply reacting with emotion fueled by your past experience.”

Moreover, mindfulness bolsters focus and clarity, can help you better navigate relationships with mindful listening and by reducing reactivity, and it can help you achieve your goals. It can make you feel more optimistic and also kinder and more forgiving toward yourself and others.

Mindfulness helps you respond appropriately to the present moment instead of simply reacting with emotion fueled by your past experience.

By witnessing our thoughts and feelings instead of automatically reacting to them, we disengage from our mental narrative and instead lightly hold our attention on the wider, quieter space beyond the thinking mind.

When mindfulness is paired with physical movement, and especially when done outdoors, the benefits are even greater for your mental, emotional and physical health, from measurable improvement in mood and immune function to better cardiovascular and respiratory function.

Studies show that mindfulness can improve confidence, resiliency, and focus among athletes. One study found that mindfulness helped college athletes sleep better, which improves both performance and mental endurance.

Mindfulness rewires the brain

Neural pathways are the superhighways of the brain—the most direct routes from initial thought to desired result. Mindfulness interrupts this process. Being present and witnessing your thoughts and feelings instead of automatically reacting to them, you disengage from our mental narrative and instead lightly hold your attention on the wider, quieter space beyond the thinking mind.

When you repeatedly disrupt the old reactive pathways and make different choices, over time you lay down new neural pathways, effectively rewiring how your brain reacts to certain situations.

These higher cognitive functions can point you toward more healthful ways of handling a situation. Mindfulness is a practice that really reaches into almost every area of our lives.

Here are just a few of the ways that mindfulness can help:

  1. Boosts serotonin levels and reduces cortisol levels — which can help relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress
  2. Improves heart health
  3. Lowers blood pressure
  4. Reduces chronic pain, muscle tension, and inflammation
  5. Improves sleep quality and duration
  6. Alleviates digestive issues
  7. Improves attention, focus, concentration, and memory
  8. Increases self-compassion and empathy

The best way to understand mindfulness is to experience it for yourself! Mindfulness supports mental health in all the ways mentioned above—helping you to bring your awareness into the present moment, to take a mental and emotional pause, and to gain perspective on your situation instead of letting your habitual thoughts and reactions run the show.

Most experts recommend a daily mindfulness meditation practice of 10 or more minutes. You can also practice mindfulness for any amount of time, even just a minute here and a minute there will help you develop your innate capacity for mindfulness.

References:

  1. https://mindfulness.com/mindful-living/mindful-walking
  2. https://mindfulness.com/mindful-living/benefits
  3. https://mindfulness.com/mindful-living/mindfulness-a-beginners-guide

Mindfulness

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Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

Mindfulness is about fully attending to what’s happening, to what you’re doing, to the space you’re moving through. It is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

The annoying fact that we so often veer from the matter at hand.

Our mind takes flight, we lose touch with our body, and pretty soon we’re engrossed in obsessive thoughts about something that just happened or fretting about the future. And that makes us anxious.

The practice of Mindfulness can help you overcome anxiety, worry and many of the stresses of life.

Mindfulness can be cultivated through proven techniques. Here are some examples:

  1. Seated, walking, standing, and moving meditation (it’s also possible lying down but often leads to sleep);
  2. Short pauses we insert into everyday life;
  3. Merging meditation practice with other activities, such as yoga or sports.

When we’re mindful, we reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and awareness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being.

8 Facts About Mindfulness:

  1. Mindfulness is not obscure or exotic. It’s familiar to us because it’s what we already do, how we already are. It takes many shapes and goes by many names.
  2. Mindfulness is a thing we already have. We have the capacity to be present and we can cultivate these innate qualities with simple practices that are scientifically demonstrated to benefit ourselves and our love ones.
  3. You don’t need to change. Mindfulness recognizes and cultivates the best of who we are as human beings.
  4. Mindfulness has the potential to become a transformative social phenomenon. Here’s why:
  5. Anyone can do it. Mindfulness practice cultivates universal human qualities and does not require anyone to change their beliefs. Everyone can benefit and it’s easy to learn.
  6. It’s a way of living.  Mindfulness is more than just a practice. It brings awareness and caring into everything we do—and it cuts down needless stress. Even a little makes our lives better.
  7. It’s evidence-based. We don’t have to take mindfulness on faith. Both science and experience demonstrate its positive benefits for our health, happiness, work, and relationships.
  8. It sparks innovation. As we deal with our world’s increasing complexity and uncertainty, mindfulness can lead us to effective, resilient, low-cost responses to seemingly intransigent problems.

When we practice mindfulness, we’re practicing the art of creating space for ourselves—space to think, space to breathe, space between ourselves and our reactions.

References:

  1. https://www.mindful.org/how-to-practice-mindfulness/
  2. https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/

Tips to Feel Better – Mindfulness

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“Mindfulness gives you time. Time gives you choices. Choices, skillfully made, lead to freedom.” – Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

Feeling good means that your body and mind are working at their peak level, and you have a general sense of well-being, says David Rakel, MD, founder and the director of the integrative medicine program at the University of Wisconsin (UW). The vision of the UW’s program is “Inspiring health and wellness in patients, communities, and ourselves”.

Life is short and a precious gift. Thus, it’s critical to enjoy and live fully each day To feel good day after day, Rakel suggests:

Stay focused on the present moment.

“If we can learn to recognize the clutter that our mind is in and learn to be more mindful of the present moment, that can be a tremendous asset to our overall sense of well-being,” Rakel says. The “clutter” that can make you feel bad includes regret about the past and worry that bad things might happen to you.

A practice called mindfulness can help you reduce the clutter by keeping your focus on the present moment. Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.

To be more mindful, try to:

  • Take in the colors, sounds, and smells that surround you at any given time.
  • Pay attention to your breath moving in and out of your body for a few moments.
  • Let worrisome thoughts flow out of your mind when they pop up, rather than giving them attention and dwelling on them.

Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits. Here are some of these benefits according to The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, which extend across many different settings.

  • Mindfulness is good for your bodies: A seminal study found that, after just eight weeks of training, practicing mindfulness meditation boosts your immune system’s ability to fight off illness. Practicing mindfulness may also improve sleep quality.
  • Mindfulness is good for your minds: Several studies have found that mindfulness increases positive emotions while reducing negative emotions and stress. Indeed, at least one study suggests it may be as good as antidepressants in fighting depression and preventing relapse.
  • Mindfulness changes our brains: Research has found that it increases density of gray matter in brain regions linked to learning, memory, emotion regulation, and empathy.
  • Mindfulness helps you focus: Studies suggest that mindfulness helps you tune out distractions and improves your memory, attention skills, and decision-making.

In addition to mindfulness, it’s important to try to stay positive and focus on the positive.

The same event can happen to two people, and one views it as a positive and one views it as a negative. So try to see the good side of the things and people around you; it can help you stay free of anxiety and depression, Rakel says.

And, there is a strong connection between psychological health and longevity. In fact, optimism, purpose, and happiness have all been tied to living longer, suggesting you may want to cultivate these attributes in your life.

“How we pay attention to the present moment largely determines the character of our experience, and therefore, the quality of our lives.” – Sam Harris

Make a spiritual connection.

Rakel defines this as spending time on “that which gives your life meaning and purpose.”This could be your religious beliefs, enjoying nature, or sharing moments with loved ones. “If we get up in the morning excited about something that gives us meaning and self-purpose, our bodies do all they can to heal,” he says.

Be around people.

Having a good support network of family, friends, coworkers, and other people who care about you can help you stay healthier, feel less stressed, and even live a longer life. Spend time with these people regularly, and work to keep your relationships with them strong.

Bottomline, by being mindful, you can train yourself to live in the present moment to handle life’s challenges with a clear mind to help you feel better and live your best life.

Focus on good health and emotional well-being.

“Mindfulness is deliberately paying full attention to what is happening around you– in your body, heart, and mind. Mindfulness is awareness without criticism or judgment.” – Jan Chozen Bays

Healthy aging

If you want to live a long, healthy life as you age, it’s important to keep physically healthy by eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

People with significantly higher than average life satisfaction, positive feelings, purpose in life, or optimism at age 50 lived an average of five to eight additional years. “Achieving high levels of these aspects of well-being have really important impacts on people living longer and healthier lives,” says researcher Jennifer Boylan, University of Michigan’s Health and Retirement Study. “Their presence is worth focusing on more than it has been.”

References:

  1. https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/more-energy
  2. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition#why-practice-mindfulness
  3. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/four_keys_to_wellbeing_that_may_help_you_live_longer

Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise

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“The key to a happy life . . . is a healthy brain.” Wendy Suzuki

Exercise is the most transformative thing that you can do for your brain, says neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki, professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University.

Dr. Suzuki discovered through research and self examination that there is a biological connection between exercise, mindfulness, and action. With exercise, she believes that your body feels more alive and your brain actually performs better.  And, Dr. Suzuki states that “you can make yourself smarter. Exercising is one of the most transformative things you can do to improve cognitive abilities, such as learning, thinking, memory, focus and reasoning — all of which can help you become smarter and live longer.”

The way exercise boosts your brain health includes:

  1. It decreases feelings of anxiety – Studies have shown that every time your move your body, a number of beneficial neurotransmitters, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin and acetylcholine, gets released into your brain. These substances can decrease feelings of anxiety and depression. And, It only takes between 10 and 30 minutes of daily physical activity to instantly lift your mood.
  2. It improves your focus and concentration – A single workout can help improve your ability to shift and focus attention. This is an immediate benefit that can last for at least two hours after 30 minutes of exercise. Activities that increase your heart rate, such as brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis or jumping rope are recommended.
  3. It promotes the growth of new brain cells – One of the most significant benefits of exercise, scientists have found, is that it promotes neurogenesis, or the birth of new brain cells. This is essential to improving cognitive function. Exercise also can improve the health and function of the synapses between neurons in this region, allowing brain cells to better communicate.
  4. It protects your brain from aging and neurodegenerative diseases – Imagine your brain as a muscle: the more workout you put into it, the stronger and bigger it gets. Longitudinal studies in humans suggest that regular exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, both of which are susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. So while exercising won’t completely prevent or cure normal cognitive decline in aging, doing it consistently can help reduce or delay the onset of it.

So, get up and start your brain transformation journey.

Dr. Suzuki encourages people to get active and go to the gym since the science clearly demonstrates how working out boosts your mood and memory — and protects your brain against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.

To get the brain-changing benefits of exercise, you should do at least three to four 30-minute workout sessions a week, explains Dr. Suzuki. You’ll also get the most benefits out of aerobic exercise, which increases the heart rate and pumps more oxygen into the brain.

Essentially, exercise can improve your brain functions today and protect your brain from neurodegenerative diseases as you age.

References:

  1. https://www.wendysuzuki.com
  2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/prime-your-gray-cells/201108/happy-brain-happy-life
  3. https://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Brain-Happy-Life-Everything/dp/B01LTHXL7Q/ref=nodl_

Mindfulness

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The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us, according to the website Mindfulness.com.

Mindfulness encompasses two key ingredients: awareness and acceptance, according to Psychology Today. Awareness is the knowledge and ability to focus attention on one’s inner processes and experiences, such as the experience of the present moment. Acceptance is the ability to observe and accept—rather than judge or avoid—those streams of thought.

Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodeling the physical structure of your brain.

Mindfulness is a technique of deliberately focusing your attention and not let yourself be distracted by other thoughts constantly running through your head; you clear “noise” from your mind.

Mindfulness is the idea to become more self-aware. You pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, and sensations in that moment — without purposefully deciding whether they’re good or bad, and without becoming overwhelmed or overly reactive.

In short, you tune in to what you’re feeling and what’s real right now. “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally,” says Kabat-Zinn, creator of the research-backed stress-reduction program Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) . “And then I sometimes add, in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.”

Mindfulness – Live in the day; Live in the now.

Mindfulness is available to you in every moment, whether through meditations or mindful moment practices like taking time to pause and breathe when the phone rings instead of rushing to answer it.

Breathe in and out a few times. If your mind wanders, just notice that, accept that your mind has wandered, and refocus on your breathing. That’s a bare bones example of mindfulness. “Mindfulness is really important in times like this,” says Auguste H. Fortin VI, MD, MPH, a Yale Medicine internal medicine specialist who has recommended mindfulness practices to help cope with their illnesses.

Mindfulness is a practice that involves three components:

  • Paying attention to what is happening in the present moment
  • Doing this purposely and deliberately, with resolve
  • Maintaining the attitude that you will stay with your mindfulness experience, whether it’s pleasant or unpleasant

As you spend time practicing mindfulness, you’ll probably find yourself feeling kinder, calmer, and more patient. These shifts in your experience are likely to generate changes in other parts of your life as well.

Mindfulness can help you maximize your enjoyment of life and help you wind down. Its benefits include lowering stress levels, reducing harmful ruminating, and protecting against depression and anxiety. Research even suggests that mindfulness can help people better cope with rejection and social isolation.

“If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.”  Lao Tzu

References:

  1. https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/
  2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness
  3. https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/mindfulness-covid

Mindfulness

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“Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally…in the service of self-understanding and wisdom.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. Professor of Medicine emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Founder of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society

Mindfulness helps you live in the moment.

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on in the environment around us. It means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens.

Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses. To live mindfully is to live in the moment and reawaken oneself to the present, rather than dwelling on the past or anticipating (anxiety) the future, according to Psychology Today.

To be mindful is to observe and label thoughts, feelings, sensations in the body in an objective manner. Mindfulness can therefore be a tool to avoid self-criticism and judgment while identifying and managing difficult emotions.

The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes and well-being.

Mindfulness helps us put some space between ourselves and our reactions, breaking down our conditioned responses. It is available to us in every moment, whether through meditations and body scans, or mindful moment practices like taking time to pause and breathe.

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

Simple mindfulness exercises can be practiced anywhere and anytime. Here’s how to tune into mindfulness throughout the day, according to mindful.org:

  1. Set aside some time and adjourn to a quiet space.
  2. Observe the present moment as it is. The aim of mindfulness is not quieting the mind, or attempting to achieve a state of eternal calm. The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment, without judgment.
  3. Let your judgments roll by. When we notice judgments arise during our practice, we can make a mental note of them, and let them pass.
  4. Return to observing the present moment as it is. Our minds can get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.
  5. Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.

That’s the practice of mindfulness. It’s often been said that it’s very simple, but it’s not necessarily easy. The work is to just keep doing it. Results will accrue overtime.

Benefits of Mindfulness Practice:

When we’re mindful, we reduce stress, enhance performance, gain insight and awareness through observing our own mind, and increase our attention to others’ well-being.

Mindfulness meditation gives us a time in our lives when we can suspend judgment and unleash our natural curiosity about the workings of the mind, approaching our experience with warmth and kindness—to ourselves and others.

Yet no matter how far we drift away, mindfulness is right there to snap us back to where we are and what we’re doing and feeling.

“Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention to the present. This state is described as observing one’s thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.” Psychology Today

Mindfulness can help you become more content, can help maximize your enjoyment of life and daily activities, and can allow a more relaxing and peaceful night’s sleep.

References:

  1. https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/
  2. https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/pages/about-the-author
  3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356
  4. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition
  5. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness

Mindfulness and Emotional Well-being

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“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a neutral, nonjudgmental filter.

Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning that you pay attention to your current thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there’s a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment.

When you practice mindfulness, your thoughts tune into what you’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing your past or imagining your future.

To be mindful is to be fully conscious or aware of your surroundings. It’s important to not think or worry about the future. Instead, the goal is to physically, emotionally, mentally, and cognitively stay within the present moment.


 
“Mindfulness…is the presence of heart.” Chinese Translation

To discover mindfulness is to discover what happens when you deliberately take time to detect the reality and your perception of the present moment no matter what it’s like—and gradually cultivate ‘an open heart’ to what we notice and sense, asserts teacher Adam Moskowitz. 

Mindfulness Chinese symbol

A Chinese translation for mindfulness is presence of heart. At its core mindfulness is a heart-centered practice. It is a realization of your fundamental wholeness, according to Moskowitz. It is a discovery of your innate care for yourself and one another. It is recognition of the truth of your interdependence—how we rely on one another and how the world relies on us.

Studies have shown that practicing mindfulness, even for just a few weeks, can bring a variety of physical, psychological, and social benefits. Essentially, mindfulness is good for your health, wealth and emotional well-being.

Mindfulness can be cultivated and practiced daily, Jon Kabat-Zinn emphasizes in his Greater Good video. “It’s about living your life as if it really mattered, moment by moment by moment by moment.”

It is essential for our wellbeing to take a few minutes each day to cultivate mindfulness and achieve a positive mind-body balance. Here are a few key components of practicing mindfulness that Kabat-Zinn and others identify:

  • Pay close attention to your breathing, especially when you’re feeling intense emotions.
  • Notice—really notice—what you’re sensing in a given moment, the sights, sounds, and smells that ordinarily slip by without reaching your conscious awareness.
  • Recognize that your thoughts and emotions are fleeting and do not define you, an insight that can free you from negative thought patterns.
  • Tune into your body’s physical sensations, from the water hitting your skin in the shower to the way your body rests in your office chair.

The cultivation of moment-by-moment awareness of our surrounding environment is a practice that helps us better cope with the difficult thoughts and feelings that cause us stress and anxiety in everyday life.

With regular practice of mindfulness exercises, you can harness the ability to root the mind in the present moment and deal with life’s challenges in a clear-minded, calm, assertive way. It’s about the challenges and the rewards of being less self-centered and more self aware.

References:

  1. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition
  2. https://www.withinmeditation.com/blog/2020/10/2/presence-of-heart-what-mindfulness-is-and-isnt
  3. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition#why-practice-mindfulness
  4. https://www.pocketmindfulness.com/6-mindfulness-exercises-you-can-try-today/