06 October 2022 09:01
The Western world already deeply embraces yoga, but meditation and mindfulness still sound too ‘spiritual’ and far away from some of us. But the truth is that these are the most productive exercises any person could do, especially in the kind of world we live in, full of stress and distractions. So, what is mindfulness anyway, how does it affect us, and how can you too start practicing it?
A variety of techniques for taking care of ourselves and our minds have been around for thousands of years, but there is no doubt that in the last few years, there has been a revolution in self-care. Yoga, meditation, psychological treatments, and other practices that connect the body and the mind were already trendy and spread to every part of the world before 2020, but then the coronavirus epidemic came along and made us even more aware just how important and valuable long-term self-care is, and how it can help us get through crises.
Lockdowns and the big changes we had to make to our routines made us all re-examine our lives and what nourishes our minds when everything else comes to a standstill, especially the continuous striving for achievement, improvements in certain aspects of our lives, or simply peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment.
In this renewed awareness, the word ‘mindfulness’ keeps on popping up. Mindfulness sounds like an amorphous spiritual concept, but the truth is that it’s an exercise that any of us can do – and benefit from.
Mindfulness is often included in psychotherapy treatments, but this really doesn’t mean that you need a professional person to guide you, and it can also be included in meditation or yoga. You may even be already practicing mindfulness – but you just don’t call it that.
So, what is it exactly? Mindfulness is the process of being aware and paying attention to our sensory and mental experiences as we experience them, without judging them. Practicing mindfulness involves listening to our breathing and paying attention to it, and to the sounds we hear, the smells we smell, and also to the thoughts that are going through our minds, but without dwelling on them or judging them, but simply being aware that they exist. If we take the time out to practice mindfulness and self-awareness, we will be able to eventually transfer this skill into our everyday lives, and this can help us handle stressful situations better, to listen to ourselves and those around us better, to new perspectives on small and big things, to be able to concentrate and be creative.
Many studies have been conducted on the subject of mindfulness, including in the “Happiness Lab” – a long-term study conducted by Yale University on what makes people happy. The results prove that doing this kind of exercise clearly leads to a happier life, enhanced memory and learning abilities, the ability to make better decisions, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet, a reduction in stress and anxiety, modified thought processes, and even fortification of the immune system.
Without a doubt, all these are good enough reasons to try to start practicing mindfulness. The method suits everyone. Not sure how to get started? Fortunately, we live in an age of unlimited access to information. You can find countless videos on mindfulness exercises on YouTube or you can use one of the many meditation apps for mindfulness exercises, including guidance for beginners.
One of the simplest techniques for beginners is to do a full body scan:
– Sit comfortably, put away electronic devices (it is recommended to also silence them) and close your eyes.
– Start concentrating on how your body feels and on how it presses down on the surface you’re sitting on.
– Take a few deep breaths and concentrate on how the air fills your abdominal cavity.
– Breathe in and out slowly, trying to relax when exhaling.
– Now, focus on your feet, on the surface they are in contact with, its texture, and how your feet press down on it.
– Now, continue directing your attention up your legs in the same way – be aware what they are in contact with, if they feel light or heavy, how hot or cold they are, and any other sensory sensations.
– While making sure you continue breathing deeply and relaxing each part of your body as you become aware of it, continue to scan your body in the same way, in the following order – your back, abdomen, palms, arms, shoulders, neck and throat, jaw and facial muscles.
– Finally, try to focus the same attention on your body as a whole, take another deep breath, and open your eyes.
