So... What is Mindfulness?
17 August, 2024
Mindfulness is defined as the practice of focusing your attention on being present in the moment. But what does that really mean? Being present in the moment can mean paying thoughtful attention to what is going through your mind, as well as any physical sensations, without judgement, right here and right now. It can also mean using your all of your senses to pay thoughtful attention to whatever task you are performing in the present moment.
Think of the last time you sat in the sunshine and thought of nothing but the sensation of the warmth of the sun on your skin or the breeze passing across it… the sound of the breeze moving through the trees or the bird songs around you… the scent of the air or the flowers around you… and the colour you see behind your closed eyelids. You were practicing mindfulness.
Or perhaps you are immersed in the job of washing your dishes. Feeling the warmth of the water on your hands… really observing the iridescence of the bubbles on top of the water… paying attention to the scent of the dish soap you use… and the sound of the cloth swishing across the dishes as you wipe them… Not really thinking of anything in particular and just allowing thoughts to float through your mind. You were practicing a form of mindfulness.
You can do a mindful body-scan, starting at your toes and working your way up to the top of your head, paying careful attention to your thoughts, feelings, and sensations as you move from one body part to the next. Your objective is not to judge those thoughts or feelings, merely to experience them and pass on to the next. This may or may not include a conscious relaxation component.
You can practice mindful movement or mindful walking by incorporating more of your senses into your activity. Paying careful attention perhaps, to the sights, sounds, and sensations around you as well as your thoughts as you move or walk will bring the principles of mindfulness into your activity.
Use of MRI technology in research shows that particular areas of our brains react in positive ways in response to regular mindfulness practice:
- Your brain’s amygdala – a region known for its role in stress – can become smaller after practicing mindfulness.
- The area of your brain responsible for things like planning, problem solving, and controlling your emotions shows increased activity.
- An area of the brain known as the hippocampus which helps you with memory and learning, can become thicker after practicing mindfulness.
- Interestingly, in people suffering from chronic pain, the areas of the brain that are associated with pain didn’t shrink. Instead, the areas of the brain associated with emotion and memory were less active and people were able to feel less pain.
Mindfulness practice can also help reduce stress and anxiety, help with sleep, increase immune response, and support other strategies for coping with cravings and addictions.
Life can seem so rushed nowadays. This can cause both mental and physical stress as our body releases higher levels of the stress hormones cortisol and adrenalin while we are in a state of stress or anxiety. Prolonged levels of these hormones put you at risk of health issues such as: high blood pressure, headaches, ulcers, obesity; a weakened immune system; and mental and emotional issues.
Just a few moments a day utilizing a relaxation technique such as mindfulness can help you counteract those effects by giving your body a chance to turn off the tap flooding your body with stress hormones.
