Is mindfulness nonsense?
No. There’s a common misconception that mindfulness is some kind of spiritually enlightened activity.
Mindfulness simply means to just be in the moment, without distractions, pressure, or stressors. If you have ever sat in silence and enjoyed it then you’ve done mindfulness.
The idea is simple. Our lives are pretty hectic. There’s always some kind of noise around us, something demanding our attention and something that we NEED to be doing or thinking about.
Mindfulness is simply letting all of that stuff go for just a few minutes and being in your own company.
There’s a lot of evidence that not only shows mindfulness is good for our mental health, but also our physical health and can actually rewire the physical structures of our brain.
There’s a reason it’s been around since the dawn of man.
Who is it for?
If you have ever experienced overwhelm, brain fog, stress or found it difficult to concentrate then you’re a great candidate for mindfulness.
Anyone, of any age can do it and all it needs is somewhere quiet you can sit or lie down for 10 minutes. It doesn’t require any equipment, any money or preparation.
Some people choose to be mindful just before a stressful time or when they would benefit from a cool head. Otherwise do mindfulness multiple times a day, every day.
For many it can take some time and practice to really ‘get it’ and it’s normal to get carried away with your thoughts, especially in the early days. The key is to not judge yourself or get frustrated. If you notice yourself getting carried away with your thoughts just notice it and let the thought, go like it’s a stick floating
down a stream.
A step-by-step guide to being mindful
1. Find time and space
The only 2 things you do need for mindfulness is a little bit of time (10 minutes is usually enough) and somewhere quiet, If possible, turn off any noises like fans, computers and phones. The closer you can get to absolute silence the better. Some people use noise cancelling headphones with no music to help with this.
2. Get Comfortable
You can sit down, lie down, or kneel, whatever feels the most comfortable. There’s no reason to sit cross legged like you often see in the media. The most common position is to sit on a hard-backed chair and place your feet on the floor with your palms on your thighs.
3. Getting going
Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. For the in-breath try to aim for 4 seconds, then breathe out through pursed lips, as if you were blowing up a balloon and aim for 6-8 seconds. This slows everything down and eases you in to being mindful.
4. Breathe normally
After the 3 deep breaths, start breathing normally. At this point focus on your breathe. Feel the air passing through your nostrils or your mouth. Notice your chest rising and falling. Feel your feet pressing into the floor and body pressing into whatever surface you are on.
5. Let your thoughts go
As much as you can, let any thoughts come and go. Imagine them as sticks floating on a passing stream or cars driving past. It’s normal to unintentionally get carried away with a trail of thought. When you notice that just let it go and go back to focusing on breathing.
