TECHNIQUES TO PRACTICE MINDFULNESS.
There are simple practices of mindfulness that can be inculcated in one’s life very easily.
Mindful Waking up: Start with a Purpose
This is best done first thing in the morning, before checking phones or email.
1. On waking up, sit in your bed or a chair in a relaxed posture. Close your eyes and connect with the sensations of your body. Make sure your spine is straight, but not rigid.
2. Take three long, deep, nourishing breaths, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Then let your breath settle, as you simply follow it in and out, noticing the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe.
3. Ask yourself: “What is my intention for today?” as you think about the people and activities you will face.
4. Set your intention for the day. For example, “Today, I will be kind to myself; be patient with others; give generously; have fun; eat well,” or anything else that you feel is important.
5. Throughout the day, check in with yourself and revisit your intention. Notice, as you become more and more conscious of your intentions for each day, how the quality of your communications, relationships, and mood shifts.
Mindful meals: Savour every bite
1. Breathe before eating. Slow down and allow for a calm transition to the meal. Bring your attention inward by closing your eyes, and begin to breathe slowly in and out of your belly for eight to 10 deep breaths before you start your meal.
2. Listen to your body. After breathing, bring your awareness to the physical sensations in your belly. Ask yourself “How hungry am I?” Try not to think about when you last ate or what time it is, and really listen to your body, not your thoughts.
3. Practice peaceful eating. Slow down and continue to breathe deeply as you eat. It’s not easy to digest or savor your food if you aren’t relaxed.
4. If you don’t love it, don’t eat it. Take your first three bites mindfully, experience the taste, flavors, textures, and how much enjoyment you are receiving from a certain food. Make a mindful choice about what to eat based on what you really enjoy.
Mindful Workout: Activate Your Mind and Your Muscles
1. Be clear about your aim, what is it that you want to achieve.
2. Warm-up (5 minutes). Try simple moves— jumping jacks, stretching— and concentrate on matching the rhythm of your breath to your movement. By moving rhythmically, your brain activity, heart rate, and nervous system begin to align and stabilize.
3. Settle into a rhythm (10 to 15 minutes). Pick up the intensity, but continue to coordinate your breath and movement. If you have trouble doing this, then simply focus on your breathing for a few minutes.
4. Challenge yourself (10 to 15 minutes). Try more repetitions, or heavier weights, depending on what you are doing. Notice how alert and alive you feel when pushing yourself.
5. Cool down (5 minutes). Steadily slow down your pace until you come to a standstill.
6. Rest (5 minutes). Quietly recognize the symphony of sensations flowing in and around you. Practice naming what you feel and sense.
Mindfulness-based interventions have become widely accepted methods of addressing symptoms associated with commonly experienced mental health challenges and/or emotional concerns. Mindfulness approaches have their roots in ancient Buddhist traditions such as Vipassana and Zen meditations. Over the years, mental health professionals realized that, mindfulness can be of great benefit, as it can enable people to separate themselves from negative thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations that may be present, often before they become too overwhelming. Those who are able to achieve this state of awareness may find it easier to implement other therapeutic strategies to address any potentially harmful cognitions in order to prevent negative effects. Regular mindfulness practice is believed to help further psychological insight and emotional healing, gradually.
