Discover the Power of Mindfulness: Be Present, Inner Peace, Reduce Stress

Mindfulness MeditationPhoto byYoga Course India

What does mindfulness mean?

It basically is the idea of being aware of the surroundings, to be in the moment without passing any judgment. Make yourself aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations around you. It helps in many situations and problems that we go through, depression being the biggest one of them. It also helps in other situations like other disorders, ADHD, PTSD, etc. Of course, if there are any physical issues it is always better to discuss them with the doctor before starting on it too.

“Be patient as this will take time but has a long-lasting effect on you, without any other thing to be done.”

There are many articles, videos, and books on it that are available and can help. Look what works for you and stick to that routine. Build it as a routine so that you can gain from it. You won’t get results on the first day and it takes time to see the results. Be patient as this will take time but has a long-lasting effect on you, without any other thing to be done.

How do we practice it?

It can be done in many ways; it could be a habit that you develop maybe reading a page from a book you love every day or focusing on the breath. Take a book you like and sit in a quiet and comfortable place. Close your eyes first and focus on your breath for a minute, maybe take a few deep breaths. Open your eyes and start reading, while focusing on the smells around you, understand what you are reading by focusing on the words.

“Speed is not important, read what you are comfortable with. When you keep the book down, reflect on what you read. Nature walks are a great way as there are so many things that you can focus on.”

Focus on the weight of the book, if you read aloud or if you read in your mind by announcing things inside focus on how you do it. Don’t worry about finishing the book, if you start and have the right attitude you will finish it too. Speed is not important, read what you are comfortable with. When you keep the book down, reflect on what you read. Nature walks are a great way as there are so many things that you can focus on. The sounds of the cicada or the birds chirping, the trees rustling, the wind blowing, you name it. When you are walking or running try to focus on the process. How does it feel when your feet hit the ground, how does it affect your body, your rhythm? While you eat something, smell it, feel it, focus on the taste, is it sour, is it sweet? what effect does it have on you? How do you feel while you eat it?

Practice mindful walking, eating, smelling, touching, reading listening, or even mindful yoga. One good way to practice mindfulness is by putting your thoughts in a diary or doing journaling. When you read your thoughts later you know what you had gone through earlier and become more aware.

“Intention is the basis of it without intention you can’t practice mindfulness, attention helps us in our focus during this process and our attitude will help us bring us back to the present if our mind wanders.”

You can also do mindfulness by practicing meditation, where you close your eyes and focus on your breath while you inhale and exhale it. Mindfulness has three components to it, Attitude, Intention, and Attention. The attitude of not being judgmental, attention for focusing on the present, on that breath, on that smell, taste, or touch. The intention of doing it and being aware, to lead a better life. Intention is the basis of it without intention you can’t practice mindfulness, attention helps us in our focus during this process and our attitude will help us bring us back to the present if our mind wanders. Assign a specific time for mindfulness each day and look for a quiet place so that you can focus. You can do it by sitting or while lying down. If your mind starts wandering try to bring it back by focusing on your breath. Be patient as this is a process, and it will take time to get results.

When do we do it?

It can be done at any time but my own thoughts on this is, that morning is the best time to do it. You have the whole day in front of you and so will gain because of the things you practice in the morning. You get the benefit of it for the whole day.

What effect does it have on things?

It helps increase focus and concentration by helping you to be in the moment and being present. It also helps in reducing anxiety and stress by helping to get rid of your negative thoughts. This leads to improvement in mood and emotional stability of the person. Having less stress leads to better sleep at night, improving the quality and quantity of it. It also can help with depression by getting the person to live in the moment and not think about the past.

“Don’t live in the past or worry about the future, learn from your past and plan for your future but always live in the present.”

Basically, to simplify, depression comes when you think of the past and live in your past, why did I do this, why did this happen to me, anxiety comes when you start living in the future. You worry about everything that will happen. Mindfulness will help in getting the person to the present. To sum it up I would say don’t live in the past or worry about the future, learn from your past and plan for your future but always live in the present.

References

1. Books:

• The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

• Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

• Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

2. Articles:

• “The Science of Mindfulness” by Harvard Health Publishing

• “Mindfulness Meditation: A Mental Training Technique” by Mayo Clinic

• “What is Mindfulness? A Definition and Guide” by Mindful.org

3. Websites:

• Mindful.org – A comprehensive resource on mindfulness practices and techniques.

• Headspace – Offers articles and guided meditations on mindfulness.

• Calm – Provides resources on mindfulness and meditation practices.

4. Research Papers:

• “Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Health Benefits: A Meta-Analysis” by Goyal et al., published in JAMA Internal Medicine

• “The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis” by Zeidan et al., published in Psychological Science

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