Everybody’s talking about mindfulness these days! As a child I remember being told to be mindful of what I say or do, as in “mind your manners young lady” or “mind where you are going.” That’s about as “mindful” as it got! However, today we hear about being mindful in a whole new way…it’s a state of being that increases our self-awareness and allows us to have more positive experiences overall.
But what really is mindfulness and why is it gaining such popularity? Most definitions will tell you that mindfulness is a mental state achieved by focusing your awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. In our world today, we are constantly running around from one place to the next, planning for the next week, the next vacation, or the next assignment. We are hardly ever present anymore. All of a sudden it’s Monday morning and we are asking ourselves what happened to the weekend…how on earth is it already Monday? Mindfulness allows you to fully enjoy the present moment by focusing on the here-and-now. It teaches non-judgment and acceptance of what you are experiencing. Naturally your mind will begin to wander, but that’s normal and okay. It teaches gratefulness because you can fully experience the beauty of life around you. It allows you to be fully aware of your negative thoughts so that you can work on integrating more positive thinking. It makes you more conscious of your body and how it responds to stress, pain or excitement, which allows you to make a better mind, body connection, and therefore make healthier choices.
Here are a few simple exercises to increase mindfulness during your week:
Breathing—the first exercise is in breathing. Set an alarm for 3 minutes to begin. (Time will increase as you practice.) Get comfortable and close your eyes. Start to focus on your breath. Notice breathing in and out. If your mind starts to wander, just notice it and bring your attention back to your breath. Do not judge whether or not you should be thinking other thoughts. Continue focusing on your breath until the alarm goes off. This is a great daily exercise to do during your day for a little break. Once you’re comfortable with 3 minutes, start increasing up to 10 minutes.
Another good breathing exercise is the 4-7-8 Breath. Dr. Weil has a great video demonstration on this exercise. You will breathe in through your nose for 4 counts, hold your breath for 7 counts and breathe out through your mouth for 8 counts. Your tongue will be held the entire time at the roof of your mouth, right behind your teeth. The breath in will be quiet. The breath out will be loud. I usually suggest 3 times in a row to begin. This will help reduce anxiety and induce sleep among many other benefits.
Mindful Walk—take a walk outside (sans headphones!) Before you begin, take a second to breathe a few deep breaths as you let go of any stress or distraction. Set your intentions and begin to walk at a slightly slower pace than normal. As you walk, take in all the sights, smells, and sounds. Be cognizant of how you feel, how you breathe, how you walk. When your mind begins to wander, just notice it and then bring it back to your walk and the rhythm of your breathing. Once finished, say a prayer of gratefulness for your experience.
Mindful eating—this is a simple exercise that allows you to focus on what you’re eating. First, select a simple food that you want to practice with. This can be a piece of fruit, a cracker, or my favorite, a dark-chocolate covered almond! Remove all distractions such as TV noise or phone. Close your eyes and take your first bite. Notice all the sensations such as the taste, the noise of the biting and chewing, the way it makes you feel. Keeping your eyes closed, begin to savor and appreciate this bite. When you’re ready, take your next bite and continue until it’s finished. As with the previous exercises, just notice when your mind wanders and bring it back to your eating without judging yourself. At the end, reflect on what your learned from the exercise. How did it change your attitude towards eating? What did mindfulness add to your eating experience? For more information and how you can take this a step further, visit our article on emotional eating.
Mindfulness can be difficult at first because we aren’t used to focusing on one thing for an extended period of time. But with practice, you will start to see changes in the way you handle stress, sleep, eat, and view your surroundings. To learn more about mindfulness research and its benefits, visit Greater Good through the University of California, Berkeley. They also have an awesome mindfulness quiz that is based on the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale that you can take to see just how mindful you are! If you feel like you need more direction in the beginning, there are many mindfulness apps that you can download on your phone. Click here for an article on the best mindfulness apps of 2016.
Happy breathing!
