by Isla Careno

We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time, and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves. And we’ll also have a lot more joy in living. – Thich Naht Hanh

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that has rapidly grown in popularity in the West in recent years. Paul McCartney does it; Jennifer Aniston does it; it’s taught in prisons and in schools; and I recommend that you give it a try, too.

 

What is Mindfulness?

All human beings already have mindfulness. It’s innate in our conscious minds: the ability to be aware of what’s happening in and around us.

And that’s exactly what mindfulness is. Far from being a complicated meditation technique, it simply uses — and hones — something we already have within us. Mindfulness is complete and attentive awareness of the present moment.

Mindfulness meditation was brought into the mainstream by Jon Kabat-Zinn. He founded the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Clinic in 1979, and his groundbreaking work led to extensive research into the benefits and potential uses of mindfulness for mental health.

The key to this form of meditation is in its simplicity; there’s no complex philosophy to learn, and you don’t have to sit silently in vipassana for ten days. And although a teacher can help you to get to a deep state of relaxation quicker, you don’t need a teacher to start practicing.

You can sit down to practice in a formal way if that suits you, or you can bring mindfulness into your existing daily life. You can do it while you’re getting dressed or doing the dishes or drinking a cup of coffee.

How Could It Help You?

Mindfulness meditation isn’t just a new-age fad. The benefits have been scientifically proven again and again — so much so that an increasing number of companies and organizations are hiring mindfulness teachers to improve employee wellbeing at work.

The very nice effects you can expect to enjoy include:

All of these benefits combine to create a healthier, happier you. You’ll feel more inspired and more motivated, and more able to handle the stresses of daily life. And your ability to become purposefully, consciously aware of the present moment will allow you to recognize situations that create uneasiness in you — so that you can more appropriately set boundaries that stop you from getting sucked into difficult situations.

Two Ways To start a mindfulness practice

So, you’re convinced. You want to start practicing mindfulness. But you don’t know how to meditate.

Actually, you kind of do; you just need to get in touch with your natural awareness, and practice it so that it becomes easier and easier for you to pull yourself directly into the present moment.

Here are two simple ways to start mindfulness meditation today.

Sitting in Meditation

If you want to set time aside for a formal meditation practice, you can do that with mindfulness.

Start with a short time period; just ten minutes a day will have a positive impact. But the key is to be consistent: practice every day.

To begin with, it might not feel like anything’s happening. But as your practice develops, you’ll start to feel a change. You’ll feel the clarity and crispness that comes with truly being right here, in this moment.

  • Sit comfortably. You could sit on the floor or on a chair; but make sure that your hips are higher than your knees. This might mean you need to use a cushion to elevate your hips if you choose to sit on the floor.
  • Rest your hands on your legs. Close your eyes.
  • Start by noticing your breath. There’s no need to try to control it; just notice it. The natural rhythm of the breath. The length and the depth of each inhale and exhale.
  • And then notice the tip of your nose. Again, there’s nothing to do; simply take your awareness to the tip of your nose. Can you feel the temperature there? Perhaps the air is cooler as you breathe in; warmer when you breathe out. Do you feel any other sensations? Can you feel the movement of the air?
  • Slowly — still with the eyes closed — lift your hands so you’re holding them roughly at chest height, palms facing up. See if you can become aware of every tiny movement involved in lifting and moving your hands. Notice the muscles that move; notice how the breath changes slightly with the movement. Notice the way your hands move the air around them.
  • When your hands are still again — at chest level, palms still facing up — open your eyes slowly. Keep your gaze on the palms of your hands, and observe every detail. The skin. The shapes. The lines in your hands.
  • When you’re ready, gently return your hands to your legs. Take a few soft breaths, and then stand up in your own time.

A Mindful Activity

If the thought of sitting down to try and meditate feels daunting to you, start bringing mindfulness into your life in a more informal way.

Mindful activities, or mindful tasks, are a great way to do this — and you can turn anything into a mindful activity.

For example: a mindful cup of tea.

 

  • Make yourself a cup of tea. Your mindfulness practice starts as soon as you start; focus on every action involved. Taking a mug from a cupboard; a spoon from a draw. Filling the kettle — notice the water as it rushes down; the sound of it as the kettle is filled.
    Place the teabag in the mug and slowly pour the boiling water. Notice the aroma as it gently hits your awareness, and then becomes stronger.
  • Sit down to drink your tea. Don’t do anything else while you drink it — don’t look at a screen or read a paper. Concentrate. Bring your awareness to what you’re doing.
  • Take small sips. Notice the temperature of the tea in your mouth, and as it travels down your throat.
  • Notice the taste on your tongue.
  • Notice how the temperature changes as keep drinking.
  • Hold the mug in both hands, and feel the texture of it. The heat. The weight of the liquid; heavier at first, and then lightening.
  • Notice every blink of your eyes.
  • Take a few deep breaths, and acknowledge your presence in this moment before the tea is finished.

These are just two examples of how you could start practicing mindfulness. But you really can do it anywhere, at any time. Gradually, you’ll realize that you’re doing it without even trying. And it’s when that starts to happen that you really start to feel the benefits.