mindfulness: the what, why & how
What is Mindfulness?
You’ve probably heard the term, “mindfulness,” since it’s become a buzzword in recent years. While the practice has been around for thousands of years, only recently has it become mainstream in the U.S., due in (large) part to the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program, who began to study it, scientifically, in the late '70’s.
Mindfulness means paying attention on purpose in the present moment without judgment (Jon Kabat-Zinn).
Pretty simple, right? Yes, but not so fast!
With today’s fast-paced world, we are almost constantly inundated with activity and information. It can be a huge challenge to focus on one thing at a time, mindfully.
Paying attention in this way involves noticing and staying with our sensations, thoughts, feelings, and experiences (positive and negative), in the moment with a sense of acceptance and equanimity, as though we are watching what is going on inside, as it passes, without reacting to it.
Not as simple as you thought, right?
Like any other learned skill, such as playing tennis or the piano, mindfulness takes regular practice. And the more you practice, the better you’ll get.
Why Practice Mindfulness?
Regular practice of mindfulness helps to:
- Decrease depressive symptoms
- Decrease anxiety symptoms
- Decrease stress
- Decrease the intensity of pain
- Increase focus/concentration
- Increase one’s ability to manage negative emotions
- Increase one’s tolerance for negative emotions
- Increase overall sense of psychological well-being
- Increase self-awareness, self-compassion, and feelings of connectedness with ourselves, which can help to increase self-esteem
- Improve sleep quality
- Change the structure of our brains in a positive way
As you can see, there are many benefits to regular practice of mindfulness meditation.
While most people will experience many of these benefits from practicing mindfulness, not everyone will. In fact, for some, mindfulness can be contraindicated or harmful even.
Who Should NOT Practice Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness meditation may be contraindicated or harmful if YOU:
- Have endured a traumatic experience in the past and experience disturbing thoughts upon closing your eyes
- Experience hallucinations or delusions
- Have depression and are experiencing a depressive episode
- Experience severe anxiety
I recommend seeking the guidance of a teacher, therapist, or psychologist knowledgeable of mindfulness practice if you would like to try it out for the first time.
How Can You Practice Mindfulness?
Mindfulness can be practiced throughout your day with just about any conscious activity or experience, such as walking, listening, eating, or brushing your teeth.
To build this skill, starting a daily mindfulness meditation practice will help. Here are three simple steps:
1. Find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably either on the floor or in a chair and set a timer for 10 minutes. If you’re sitting in a chair, have both feet flat on the ground. Back is erect, but not stiff.
2. Close your eyes or soften your gaze and focus on a stationary spot in front of you. Begin to focus on the sensations of your breath, perhaps noticing the feeling of the air pass through the nostrils with each in-breath and out-breath, or the rise and fall of your chest with each inhale and exhale. You may also choose to notice the way your back feels as it is pressing against the chair. Focus on the experience that is most visceral to you.
3. As you find your mind wandering, which it will, gently notice where it has wandered to (without judgment), and return your focus back to what you chose to focus on in step 2. You may be doing this a million times a minute to start. As you continue to practice regularly, that million may become thousands, then hundreds, then tens, and so on and so forth.
Although many people report experiencing a feeling of relaxation after practicing mindfulness meditation, that is not the goal of this practice. It is important to note that with mindfulness meditation, we are not trying to achieve anything. We simply want to practice it.