#NOLABELS Focussed on mindfulness this March with - #mindfulmarch2019. This was a great opportunity for people to get to ask me questions on Mindfulness and ways to incorporate this into their everyday lives. Raising the profile for the benefits of mindfulness.
Like any other new skill mindfulness needs practice. There are days when I am feeling more able to fully emerge in mindfulness practice, days when it feels tortuous to sit with my thoughts/emotions, and days when I forget totally to spend anytime using the ‘pause’ button!
That is what learning and growing a new skill is like. Sometimes you feel like you have mastered it, then you feel like a complete beginner. Then you do the ‘worst’ thing ever, and compare to the experts, or people you admire who have been practising the skill for a long time.
However you learn, make mindfulness work for you. There really are no rules. In it’s simplistic form, mindfulness is just paying particular attention to one thing, in the present, in a non judgemental way.
You can even do Active Mindfulness. That is when you focus your attention on your breathe, and body in movement. Really noticing how the body feels as you move. You can do this in various ways…
Walking the dog
At the gym
While doing Yoga or Pilates
You can do a meditation style mindfulness. Sitting upright, in your usual position, closing your eyes, and focussing on your breath. Focus on the in breathe, and feel your body release tension on the exhale. The idea, is to just focus on the breathing, and notice the way your body changes. That is it. No thinking needed.
However, if those pesky thoughts do pipe up for attention. Acknowledge them, and try to go back to the focus on the breathe. The trick is not to start arguing with yourself, or beating yourself up for ‘failing’.
You can use visualisation to practise mindfulness. Imagine a calming scene… the beach… a place you feel safe and secure. Use all of your senses to become immersed in the visualisation. What does the waves sound like, are there birds singing? Is the wind in your face, how does this feel? What can you smell? Sea, sun cream? Have you got sand in between your toes, what does that feel like? What can you see? Using all the senses helps to maintain focus.
When we practise mindfulness routinely, we learn to be more in touch with our bodies. To truly become aware of how our mind is active. What it’s usual patterns are. This way we can use a quick mindfulness exercise when we are feeling a surge of emotions!
I recommend a number of resources to learn this skill. Headspace is a great app to help you start your mindfulness journey. If you prefer to read, then Ruby Wax has a few fantastic books to get you on your way. If you prefer to talk to someone, and practise together, then get in touch and #NOLABELS can help you to start your own mindfulness journey!