(Tiny Tips) – Mindfulness meditation is increasingly being studied and tried by the public, often focusing on creating gentle awareness of the present moment that can be practiced anywhere.
Benefits of mindfulness practices include reduced stress, relief from back pain, relief from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms, and more. It can also support a more resilient mindset, but if you’ve never tried mindfulness before, you may not know what exactly it is or how to try it.
Jane Ehrman, a retired behavioral health specialist at the Cleveland Clinic who now has a private practice in Cleveland, says mindfulness is actually pretty simple. “It’s a practice of focusing on just one thing; it’s about being in the moment and being aware of what you’re doing,” she says. “So when you cut a carrot, cut the carrot. You’re not thinking in your head about six more things you need to do.”
Ellman says that when you are mindful, you are aware of your surroundings and able to respond to what is happening. “With mindfulness, you use your senses, be in the moment, and not repeat what has already happened,” she says.
Ellman says that when you’re focused and present, you can enjoy every moment more because you’re energized. “Remember to eat your favorite ice cream. When you practice mindfulness, you can enjoy the taste, feel how cold it is, experience the texture and taste in your mouth, and how good it feels when you swallow,” she says.
Contrary to what many people think, mindfulness is not about “turning off your mind,” Ellman said. “Only the souls of the dead are closed; when you’re alive, your mind is always moving,” she said. “Mindfulness is the practice of focusing on one thing. When your attention wanders, bring it back immediately. When you do this, you build your ability to focus better and for longer periods of time.”
A subtle yet central aspect of the practice is to be gentle and kind to yourself when your mind inevitably wanders.
A Brief History of Mindfulness in the West
Ellman believes that mindfulness has roots in thousands of years of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. Although there is no complete agreement among scientists, much of the popularity of modern mindfulness practices practiced in the United States and Western countries can be attributed to Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a meditation teacher and mind-body researcher, born in the medical field. Founded in New York City in 1944, he published the first study on mindfulness in a professional journal.
After befriending a Zen missionary while a student, the doctor practiced Kabat-Zinn meditation with Buddhist teachers such as Philip Kapleau, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and Seung Sahn, eventually establishing the UMass Memorial Health Center for Mindfulness in Worcester. Massachusetts, Ellman said.
According to Kabat-Zinn’s book Total Disaster Living, mindfulness is a moment-to-moment awareness that is cultivated by consciously paying attention to the present moment with an attitude of non-judgmental, non-struggle acceptance. Arrow Up Observing your own thoughts and feelings about this highlights their subjectivity and ephemerality.
Everyday Ways to Practice Mindfulness
Mindfulness practices can be religious or secular, Ellman said. “I take a secular approach and just focus on my breath and how it feels when I breathe in and out,” she says. “Experience the feeling of the air as your chest expands and contracts. Notice how your body feels when you sit in the chair without judging or changing it.”
Ellman recommends that a simple way to practice mindfulness throughout the day is to take a walk. “As you walk, notice how the air feels as it flows over your skin rather than thinking about everything you have done or need to do. Pay attention to the trees and your surroundings. Notice how your body feels as you breathe in the air, and when you What happens to your body with every step you take.”
You can also practice mindfulness at work, Ellman says. “Before a meeting, take a moment to simply inhale and exhale and release stress,” she says. This way, she adds, you can focus and provide oxygen to your brain and body, allowing you to be more focused during meetings.
Potential Benefits of Mindfulness for Your Body and Health
Practicing mindfulness not only helps you experience your daily life better, but it also has benefits for your physical and mental health, Ellman says. Possible health benefits of mindfulness include:
Reduced Anxiety
“Mindfulness can be helpful when you’re scared to death in your head because you’re worried about something,” says Ellman, adding that by using mindfulness techniques, you can become more aware of what you’re focusing on or thinking about. “It can reduce anxiety. Part of the fear is the story you tell yourself in your head, which is often not the (complete) truth – it can be distorted and often even very negative.”
A recent review found that mindfulness-based programs can reduce rumination and worry and increase positive emotions and self-compassion, all of which together help reduce anxiety and depression.
Less Pain
It may seem counterintuitive that mindfulness can help relieve pain, but the practice can help you manage it, Ellman says. “When you have chronic pain and then the pain suddenly gets worse, you often lose consciousness or become unconscious. Instead, you [often] notice that things are getting worse. You may start to think, ‘How could this still be going on?’ Is it getting worse? ‘I wonder how long it’s going to last?’ or ‘Why does it hurt so much?'” she said. “[When this happens] you no longer feel the pain because you’ve represented it in your mind.”
In mindfulness, Ellman explains, you strive to be fully present with the pain and breathe it in. “As you inhale and exhale, you can start to calm and soften the area around the wound, which can actually relieve some of the pain,” she says. “It takes you to a place where you can answer the questions in your mind. You can say to yourself, ‘I’m just going to sit there and breathe with this.’ “Imagine breathing in the calming energy, and as you exhale, imagine releasing that tension.
She adds that maintaining the discomfort can allow you to work through the pain.
Mindfulness techniques can also help treat chronic pain. A randomized clinical trial found that these approaches can help reduce symptoms and significantly reduce opioid use in chronic pain adults on long-term opioid treatment who abuse opioids for pain relief.
Better Disease Management
According to previous research, chronic stress may affect the way the body regulates inflammatory responses, which is thought to contribute to the progression of certain chronic diseases. Further research has found links between stress and autoimmune diseases, migraines, obesity, diabetes and more. High cholesterol, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Ellman says mindfulness practice is one way to reduce stress. “When you’re stressed, your immune system thinks, ‘What’s going on here?’ Is there an invader here?” she says.
Ellman says mindfulness can help restore balance to the immune system. “When your brain is in a calm and calm state, your cells and tissues can repair themselves and your body heals faster,” Ellman says. She said there are several studies supporting this idea, including a classic study in which patients who underwent heart surgery and opted for guided imaging had shorter hospital stays and required fewer pain medications during recovery. up arrow
A previous review of randomized controlled trials found that mindfulness meditation may have beneficial effects on markers of inflammation, cell-mediated immunity and biological aging, but considered the results to be preliminary and needed further replication.
Improved Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Symptoms
Ellman says mindfulness practice can relieve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. One small study of 53 women and 15 men found that people who completed mindfulness training were able to reduce the severity of IBS symptoms and improve their quality of life.
“Gut feeling or intuition is the seat of emotion,” she says. “When you’re nervous, you might get a knot in your stomach, and when you’re excited, you’ll feel nervous.” Because your gut is always alert to your perceptions and thoughts, if you can calm yourself down, you It calms the intestines, she explains.
Previous research has shown that the gut microbiome plays an important role in the bidirectional interaction between the gut and nervous system. Essentially, it interacts with the central nervous system by regulating brain chemicals and affecting systems in the body related to stress response, anxiety, and memory function.
Lessened Severity of Menopause Symptoms
It is estimated that up to 85% of postmenopausal women experience at least one menopausal symptom, which can include hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, and vaginal dryness.
One study found that women who scored higher on mindfulness and were less stressed had, on average, lower symptom scores of irritability, depression, and anxiety, although there were no benefits for hot flashes or night sweats.
Previous research has also found that women who practiced mindfulness for a few weeks were “less affected by hot flashes and night sweats” and had an improvement in their overall quality of life.
Eased Skin-Problems
Higher-than-normal levels of stress can negatively impact the skin and worsen inflammatory skin conditions, including eczema, psoriasis and acne, says dermatologist Apple Bodemer, MD, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health.
Meditation has been shown to deactivate parts of the brain that are stimulated by chronic itching and stress, and to reduce inflammatory markers.
Research suggests that mindfulness may be useful for people with atopic dermatitis, a type of eczema, in reducing “catastrophizing itch,” which refers to negative thought patterns surrounding itching. The study also found that the mindfulness technique of “acting with awareness” (focusing on current experiences) was also associated with reduced itching.
Possible Benefits of Mindfulness for Self-Care
Mindfulness can be an important part of self-care because it gives you the space to look at yourself in different moments; by paying attention to your thoughts and feelings, you can adjust your habits and behaviors, Ellman says. Here are some ways mindfulness practice can improve your self-care routine:
Improved Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to perceive, understand, regulate and express emotions in a way that is appropriate to the situation and context. up arrow
By living in the moment, you can speak or respond more thoughtfully, Ellman says. “If you find yourself stuck or having a difficult conversation with someone, take a breath or two before responding,” she says. “Just decide what to say and how to say it.”
Sharpened Ability to Make Diet and Food Choices
Mindful eating is another form of mindfulness practice, and can be used when you’re eating healthy foods or not, says Ehrman. “If you’re going to eat some ice cream or your favorite brownie, shouldn’t you thoroughly enjoy it?” she says jokingly.
“How often do you take the first bite and go, ‘That’s great,’ and then you’re off the races in your head about stuff and the next thing you know, you’ve eaten it all without realizing it,” she says. “As my husband sometimes says, ‘Who finished my popcorn?’ she adds with a laugh. “When you eat mindfully, you may find that you eat less because you’re more satisfied.” Mindful eating also opens awareness to check in with your body on whether or not it’s full, and whether the food and overall experience was nourishing. This can support making healthier choices in the future.
Better Sleep and Less Insomnia
“As soon as our heads hit the pillow, our minds start racing,” Ellman says. “We start thinking about what we didn’t get done, what we need to do tomorrow, or the unpleasant situations that have plagued us throughout the day,” she says.
“Don’t go down this route, but go to bed mindfully and spend 30 seconds feeling your body resting on the mattress,” she says. “Feel how the covers feel and breathe against your skin. How comfortable.” Ellman added, noticing that the day was over and allowing herself to lie there and breathe.
There is research to support this suggestion, including a meta-analysis and a review showing that mindfulness meditation helps improve sleep quality in people with rest disorders compared with a control group, and that the benefits are sustained long-term.
How to Start Practicing Mindfulness
There is no right or perfect way to practice mindfulness. Ellman recommends choosing a location where there will be no distractions from people, pets and anything else. “Use your smart device to set a timer for a minute or two,” she says. If you want, you can also add instrumental or natural sounds in the background, she suggests.
“Sit or lie down comfortably — you don’t have to cross your legs or put your thumbs and certain fingers together — you don’t have to do any of that,” Ellman says. “If you feel comfortable closing your eyes, I recommend you do so as it can eliminate a lot of distractions. Then pay attention to your breathing.” “When you have a thought, tell yourself you’ll come back to it later and focus again Your breath,” she said.
Some people focus on mantras, which can be spiritual or secular, Ellman said. Mantras are words or phrases that are repeated during mindfulness practices or other forms of meditation. She said examples of mantras include: “I am okay at this moment” or “I am at peace at this moment.” “You can also focus on just one word—‘happy,’ for example—and repeat it at your own pace.”
Even people who have practiced mindfulness for a long time, like Ellman, find themselves constantly debating in their minds whether it is working or whether they should continue to do it. “That’s okay,” she said. “There’s no good or bad method, there’s no right or wrong way to do it – it’s a daily practice.”
You don’t necessarily need a special space or timer to practice mindfulness, either, Ellman says. “You can practice anywhere,” she said. “You don’t even have to sit; you can stand and look out the window or even gaze at the beautiful scene on your screensaver.”
For many people, mindfulness can be very challenging and even demoralizing. This is both an individual practice and it is important to get help and explore the practice with others. Most major cities have introductory classes such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC), as well as other groups.
Exploring Mindfulness Through Movement
Another way to start a meditation practice is with yoga, a mind-body practice that combines movement with body and breath awareness and has similarities to mindfulness, Ellman said. “When doing yoga, you have to pay attention to your body position and inhale. It’s very difficult to stay clear-headed and actually do the yoga poses,” she says. “Concentration and balance are also very closely related – try standing on one leg while thinking about your to-do list and you’ll fall over in an instant.”
You can also try practices such as Qigong, Tai Chi and embodied dance, which vary in nature and historical roots, but all use different exercises to balance energy in the body and incorporate mindful movement methods.
FAQ for Mindfulness
What is mindfulness, and how does it work?
Mindfulness is a mental practice that involves being fully present and aware in the current moment without judgment. It works by cultivating your ability to focus on your thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and the environment around you, promoting self-awareness and reducing stress.
What are the benefits of practicing mindfulness?
Practicing mindfulness can lead to reduced stress, improved emotional regulation, enhanced concentration and focus, increased self-awareness, and an overall sense of well-being. It can also help with managing anxiety and depression.
How do I start practicing mindfulness?
You can start practicing mindfulness by dedicating a few minutes each day to mindful activities. This may include mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, or simply paying close attention to your daily tasks. It's important to start small and gradually increase the duration of your practice.
Can mindfulness be integrated into a busy daily schedule?
Yes, mindfulness can be incorporated into a busy lifestyle. You can practice mindfulness during routine activities like eating, walking, or even while commuting. It's about being present and fully engaged in whatever you're doing, no matter how hectic your day is.
Is mindfulness suitable for everyone?
Mindfulness is generally suitable for people of all ages and backgrounds. However, it may not be suitable for individuals with certain mental health conditions. It's essential to consult with a healthcare professional if you have concerns about whether mindfulness is appropriate for you.
Mindfulness Resources
If you’re ready to try mindfulness, most communities have universities or local organizations, such as guided programs at the YMCA, to get you started. Below is a list of some recommended resources to help you begin your journey.
Books
- Wherever You Go, There You Are, by Jon-Kabat Zinn
- Mindfulness, by Mark Williams and Denny Penman
- Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life, by Thich Nhat Hanh
Online Resources
- UMass Memorial Health Center for Mindfulness offers free online mindfulness sessions.
- UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center offers free resources such as guided meditations.
- UC San Diego Center for Mindfulness offers daily streams and recordings of mindfulness and compassion sessions.
Apps for Mindfulness
- The Cleveland Clinic offers apps called Stress Free Now and Go! To Sleep.
- Ten Percent Happier offers meditations and a special Coronavirus Sanity Guide.
- The app Headspace offers meditations and a free 10-day beginner course.