Mindfulness – What Is It?
How often do you think your mind wanders in any given hour? While studying, or watching TV, or eating dinner, our minds are often very busy … processing past events, sometimes worrying about them; planning future events, and sometimes feeling anxious about them; every time the mind wanders it is rarely existing in the space and time you are physically occupying right this minute.
“Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).”
– James Baraz
The mind that can practice a quiet focus within the moment can be calmer, able to concentrate more easily, less prone to anxiety and depression, and with a better memory. Physically, practising the art of mindfulness can reduce stress and improve sleep, treat heart disease and lower blood pressure. Quite an impressive list for only a few minutes effort a day!
While practising mindfulness seems deceptively simple, it can be a complex and frustrating discipline to master. However, mindfulness encourages mindfulness, and over time becomes easier until it is second nature to you. The good news is it’s free, you can practice it anywhere and anytime (no one will know), and you can design your very own pathway to mindfulness.
Mindfulness is about knowing where we are (being in the moment)
and also about maintaining an awareness of where we have been (reflection)
and where we are going (having goals).
Suggested Mindfulness Practice Techniques
Mindful Breathing
One of the simplest of mindfulness practices is focussing on your breath.
- Equipment needed: None
- Time to be practiced: Whenever
- Length of practice: 20 minutes is good, but as little as 5 minutes is beneficial.
Sit somewhere comfortably – somewhere quiet is good in the beginning. As you get more practiced and used to focussing your mind you can practice with distractions all around you and attain a still mind. Breathe normally. Imagine you can watch your breath entering and leaving your body. Pay attention to the sensations your body feels, and stay with them without being side tracked. Your mind may jump around at different points. That’s ok. Imagine yourself ‘sitting with’ your mind. Acknowledge the new thought, or idea, or distraction and then let it go. There are different ways to visualise this and you may find one that’s perfect for you. A couple that have worked for me are as follows:
- The mind is like a monkey jumping from branch to branch and chattering non-stop. Every time it jumps I mentally nod my head and think “OK.” And then let it sit still until it leaps off in another direction. Again I mentally nod and think “OK.” Eventually I imagine the monkey dozing off and resting peacefully in a beautiful tree in the midst of an enormous forest shining with shafts of sunlight through the leaves ….
- The mind is an ocean and thoughts that come up are like waves on the surface. At first the ocean’s surface may be quite choppy and distractable, but as the mind calms down the ocaen becomes more still, reflecting the moon and clouds. A new thought will arise as a wave, I acknowledge the thought and let it sink back down. Gradually the surface of the ocean becomes more and more still, reflecting the clouds and moon and stars (or blue sky and sparkling sunshine) with a beautiful mirror-like calm.
Mindful breathing is also one of the first steps of meditation.
Journalling
Keeping a journal can be a very rewarding and cathartic experience. You can examine past events from the safety of the present moment, and keep a record of your thoughts.
In terms of mindfulness the act of writing, or typing, anchors your body in the present while your mind explores itself. As your mind wanders the byways and avenues of your memories and thought processes you can gain some amazing insights into issues and troubles you may be wrestling with.
One of the most mindful ways to journal is to keep track of your emotions and what has triggered those emotions. Pay attention to events in your life and the emotional impact they have – for good or ill. What can you explore about them? How do they expose your core values and beliefs. Are those core beliefs something you want to hold onto or is a core belief dragging you down? Brielfy write down an event and describe how it made you feel. Valued? Happy?
“Awakeness is found in our pleasure and our pain, our confusion and our wisdom, available in each moment of our weird, unfathomable, ordinary everyday lives.”
- Pema Chodron
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At Penrith Counselling women are supported and nurtured by strengths based holistic counselling and Reiki energy healing. Click here for more information. You’re worth it ❤
Alison Howarth is a member of the Australian Counselling Association.
