Have you ever found yourself having one thought and then all the sudden you’re down a rabbit hole of worried thoughts? The more our minds are used to doing this, the harder it is to stop! So what does this have to do with mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a practice of being present to this moment, with curiosity and an awareness of the here and now. It allows for a moment-to-moment awareness of your thoughts, feelings, and what is happening, without having to react to or judge any of these things. So what does this mean in practice? Turn off the tv, set aside your distractions and multi-tasking mindset. Now, without any judgements, notice what it feels like to breathe in. And breathe out. Exactly where you are, wherever that is. Just notice it with all of your senses.
How was that?
Did you get the sense of being right there, in the moment, with your breath? If so, you just had a mindful moment! Congratulations!
The feeling of being right here, in the moment is such a different feeling than when we’ve gone down the rabbit hole with our anxious thoughts. Mindfulness helps to create a pause between experience and automatic reaction. When we end up down the rabbit hole of anxious thoughts, often times we’re miles ahead into the future. It helps us be right here, right now. The exercise of noticing your breath is considered mindfulness of breath, but mindfulness can be used in any situation: mindful eating, mindful meditation, mindful acts of daily living like doing the dishes, and more.
This practice has become popular in the US over the last decade and is being researched more and more. The benefits are significant and have been proven on fMRI scans and EEG tests.
So what kind of benefits does this have?
- Increased grey matter in the areas of the brain that control learning, emotion regulation, learning, and perspective taking.¹ Grey matter is kind of like the muscle of the brain, it is the power behind the brain, so building grey matter is a good thing!
- Improves concentration and attention.²
- Reduces anxiety and depression.²
- Helps children in school.²
- Boosts the immune system.³
- Increases positive emotions while reducing stress.³
- Improves relationships and relationship satisfaction.³
Mindfulness is a great tool that can be used in and out of therapy to help improve quality of life. Would you like to learn more about how to incorporate this useful practice into your life to get these great benefits for yourself?
The therapists at Mindful Way Counseling specialize in mindfulness based interventions can help you in your journey. Also, check out books by Jon Kabat-Zinn, who popularized this practice in the United States. One of his most popular books is “Wherever You Go There You Are”. Interested in trying some meditation? Check out the Insight Timer App for your phone or tablet.
Now that you know about the benefits of mindfulness, slow down and give it a try!
- Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. W. (2010). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry research, 191(1), 36-43.
- Walton, A. (2015, Feb 9) 7 Ways Meditation Can Actually Change the Brain. Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2015/02/09/7-ways-meditation-can-actually-change-the-brain/#7c72773d1465
- Mindfulness|Defined. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition#how-cultivate