30 Oct Everything You Need to Know about Mindfulness

While mindfulness has become relevant to many people’s lives, many people are unaware of this concept and its advantages. So here is a quick guide to mindfulness which will enlighten you about mindfulness and its numerous benefits.

What is Mindfulness?

It is a guided meditation which involves bringing your mind to focus on the present moment. It is a psychological process in which the practitioner is supposed to bring his attention to whatever is happening within him as well as around him. It teaches people to acknowledge their thoughts without being judgemental.

The best part about mindful meditation is that you can practice it anywhere and anytime. It is an art of controlling your mind. Once you master this art, your life becomes smoother.

The Origin of Mindfulness

Mindfulness has been a prominent part of various religions. Be it Hindus, Christians, Muslims or other religions, the historical practice of mindful meditation has been found in all over the world. Of course, it was known by other names back then.

The Buddhists introduced the mindfulness as we know today. They redefined the concept of Sati. The term Sati means to remember. But Buddhists redefined it as mindful which means you don’t just remember the thing. You have a constant presence of mind, and you are aware of what is happening around you. This ultimately leads to your wellbeing.

However, this practice has evolved over time and today is a completely secular concept that is only looked at as an exercise.

The Benefits of Mindfulness

When talking about the benefits of mindfulness, the list can go on and on. There are so many advantages which are scientifically proven, some of which are listed below:

• It helps in stress reduction.
• It contributes to increasing your focus.
• It helps you to have a good sleep.
• It helps you to improve your performance.
• It decreases your emotional reactivity.
• It helps in the regulation of blood pressure.
• It helps you get over your anxiety.
• It helps you get over your addiction.

These are just a few benefits of guided meditation. Mindfulness is found to be useful for both your physical as well as mental wellbeing.

The Best Time to Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a form of meditation. When it comes to meditation, people have a general perception that the best time is right in the morning. Also, they feel that while meditating they compulsory have to sit in a peaceful place in a cross-legged position, close their eyes, put their hands on your knees and take deep breaths and focus on them. Well, if you can do this every morning then that is great, but this is not a compulsion when it comes to mindful meditation.

Mindful meditation can be practiced anytime and anywhere. You can begin with your mindful practice in between your work or while you are eating, bathing, dancing, singing or doing any other activity. Also, you do not necessarily have to sit in a cross-legged position. Just sit in any comfortable position but ensure that your spine is straight. If you are sitting on a chair, then your back should be straight, and your feet should lie straight on the ground. While sitting on the floor if you need some back support, you can put a pillow behind. Once you have chosen your comfortable position, focus on your breaths. If you can carry this out in between your work, you will be able to focus better.

You can also practice mindfulness in installments. For example, if you devote 10 minutes to mindfulness, then you can practice it 2 minutes in the morning, 3 minutes in between your work and so on. Just ensure that you do it with complete dedication to get the best results.

The Mindful Exercises

• Breathing Exercise: Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. This should be a slow mechanism and while doing so just focus on your breaths.
• Bodyscan Exercise: Just observe the sensations in your body as you bring your awareness to each part of the body, one by one, from the top to the bottom.
• Visualization: A powerful exercise where you need visualize an object, say light, flowing in your body like fluid, bringing warmth and calmness.
• Loving Kindness: Imagine people in your life who love you, one by one, breathing with the feelings of love and kindness. Then, imagine yourself as the source of love and kindness for people and things that you wish for.
• Observation Exercise: Choose a natural object from your surroundings and observe it carefully. It can be a flower, an insect, a candle or anything. Observe as many things as possible for about 2 minutes.
• Listening Exercise: Listen to some music and try to identify how that music makes you feel.

Mindfulness is a way of reconnecting with yourself. It helps you understand what a particular thought or things do to you and how it makes you feel. So, make guided mindful meditation a part of your daily routine, and you will altogether have a new experience.

Purva Jain

Purva is a freelance writer from Udaipur, India. She covers a wide range of topics including health, lifestyle, news, food, and travel. You can reach out to her at [email protected].

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