By Lenore Flynn RN, MA
Mindfulness is an ancient practice that is simple and profound. It is a practice of paying attention and requires a person to believe in nothing other than the value of their own life. Mindfulness teaches a person to view whatever is happening in life disengaged from habitual narratives and free of mental constructs. It is sometimes called “bare attention”.
Most often, mindfulness is initially taught as a meditation practice; our minds need “practice” quieting down and learning to be still. Then, as one begins to experience some calm, the practice of mindfulness can be extended into many aspects of your life.
Experiment with the following exercises:
Take a few moments and close your eyes: What do you hear? Try to hear the sounds without attaching thoughts to hearing them. Notice your tendency to identify the sounds and describe them to yourself, and perhaps even qualify them as pleasant or unpleasant. Focus on your breathing for three deep, slow breaths and then try to just listen again. Do you notice a difference? You may find it a bit easier to just listen without the inner commentary.
When you sit down to eat, do so in a quite place. Take three deep breaths and then begin to eat. Bring your attention to the smells and textures of your food. Bring the food to your mouth, chew it slowly and savor it. Put your fork down while you chew; you’ll notice the tendency to be ready to go for the next bite while you are chewing.
This is the practice of mindfulness. It is so simple, but it can have profound and deep implications on our lives. It enables us to experience our life with all its beauty, love, joy, pain, disappointment and boredom. People who have learned mindfulness to help cope with devastating pain or illness report that there were times of the day when they had no pain or the pain was more bearable. By being able to be more fully aware of those times of respite they experienced an ameliorating effect on the rest of their day. They began to see how their thoughts and ideas about their pain gave it strength.
Mindfulness does not encourage you to escape from unpleasantness and move toward something pleasant; it teaches you to ground yourself and be aware no matter what comes your way. It supports response rather than reaction.
Mindfulness of sounds can be extended to listening with attention and carefully choosing our words when we speak; mindfulness of eating can be extended into issues of food choices or the amount we eat.
The benefits of mindfulness are proven. Research studies on mindfulness have demonstrated positive outcomes for symptoms associated with stress, chronic pain, anxiety disorders, psoriasis, menopause and depression. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapies and programs have been developed for corporations, schools, prisons, inner city residents and medical students. Numerous studies are underway to further evaluate the impact mindfulness can have on a variety of physical and mental health issues.
You can begin to incorporate the practice of mindfulness into your life right now, in this moment. There are classes available in many areas to support your commitment to make mindfulness a part of your life.
Lenore Flynn RN, MA is a mindfulness teacher and a founding member of Still Forest Pool Center for Mindfulness of the Capital Region. For more information call 339.9443..