What is mindfulness?
You’ve probably heard of mindfulness before, but what exactly is it?
Mindfulness can be defined as intentional present moment awareness, without judgement. It is the process of attending to our immediate experience – whether that is our thoughts, our emotions, our bodily sensations, or other sensory experiences (sound, sight, smell, touch and taste).
This practice has been shown to reduce stress levels, rumination and emotional reactivity while increasing our ability to think flexibly and focus. Because of its broad benefits, mindfulness is a common element in many therapies
There are many ways you can begin the incorporate mindfulness practice into your life. Here are some suggestions to start:
Mindful breathing
You can do this for as long or as little as you like. I recommend starting with a minute and just noticing how this practice feels for you. Sit or lie down in a comfortable place, and when you feel ready, bring your attention to your breath. You don’t have to change it in any way, just focus your attention on the feeling of it. You may choose to focus on the feeling of air filling and emptying from your lungs, the rise and fall of your chest, or the sensation of air passing through your nostrils or mouth. Whatever feels comfortable for you is ok. You might notice your attention wandering during the exercise, following a thought or a sound – this is completely normal, practice noticing when this is occurring and gently redirecting your focus to your breath.
Mindful cup-of-tea
Brew a mug of your favourite tea and sit down somewhere quiet. Here the focus is on mindfully attending to the senses. First you may start with sight – noticing the steam rising from your hot tea, the colour of the tea, the colour of your mug. You might like to explore the sense of touch; you can hover your hand at the edge of your mug and notice how close it must come to feel a sense of heat, how does this sense of temperature change as you move your hand back and forth? If you bring your hand to the surface of your mug, how does it feel under your fingers? Notice the temperature, texture, and firmness of this surface. You can explore smell by taking a deep inhale and noticing the aroma of your tea. And finally, explore mindfully attending to the taste of your tea. You may like to begin with a small sip, holding it in your mouth for a while to really notice how the tea tastes. As you swallow, see if you can follow the sensations of tea’s journey all the way down your throat into the stomach.
Yoga
Yoga incorporates mindfulness throughout its practice and can be a beautiful way to begin practicing mindful awareness. Explore this by taking an in person or online class to allow your instructor to fully guide you through the process.
If you’re interested in mindfulness, you may want to explore this with a mental health professional. We have a number of clinicians who are skilled in educating clients in mindful living. Meet our team, or contact the practice to discuss available support options.
