Hello, and thanks for visiting my blog & website!
I thought speaking about the power of Mindfulness would be a great first blog post to provide you with something resourceful. I’ll talk about it briefly, provide you with some further direction, but most importantly provide you with a Mindfulness exercise in the form of a guided audio track for you to listen to whenever you like.
What is Mindfulness?
You have likely heard about and experienced Mindfulness before. Mindfulness involves being fully present in the moment, without judgment, and it has gained traction in both Eastern traditions and Western psychology along with a wealth of evidence to support it’s claims.
What are the benefits?
At a minimum, research demonstrates that mindfulness is associated with improved psychological health. Studies show that regular mindfulness practice leads to increased subjective well-being, reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression, and greater emotional resilience. Mindfulness-based interventions, which include practices like meditation and mindful breathing, have been particularly effective in reducing stress and enhancing self-awareness. These interventions equip individuals with the tools to manage difficult emotions and navigate life's challenges with greater ease.
Even brief mindfulness exercises can have immediate effects on emotional and behavioral functioning. They can reduce emotional reactivity, increase cognitive flexibility, and improve decision-making skills.
Incorporating mindfulness into your daily routine can lead to profound transformations. By cultivating a mindful attitude, you can foster inner peace, resilience, and emotional well-being.
How can I get started?
There are many ways to practice Mindfulness. Some simple ways you can start practicing including:
1. Engaging each of your senses to the world around right now. Right now: What can you feel on your skin? What can you taste? What can you smell? What can you hear? What can you see? And also- what are you able to feel in your body?
2. Being a Curious Observer: Try to consider that there is a part of your mind that is able to be the “watchful curious observer”. It monitors all your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations, and experiences without judgement but with curiousity, openness and kindness. This resource becomes your mindful self. If you are able to ‘tap into’ that part of yourself, and witness your experience at any point of time from this point of view, then you are being mindful!
3. A guided mindful meditation practice. Lucky for you, I have added one below for you to listen to as you wish! This is a simple 10 minute practice. But there are many variations out in the world (including much longer ones). I’d love for you to give this one a try.
Where can I learn more?
The mindfulness resources are plentiful. But I can direct you to some reputable resources and I have listed them below for you to explore.
Enjoy!
References:
Creswell, J. D. (2017). Mindfulness interventions. Annual Review of Psychology, 68, 491–516. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-042716-051139
Hofmann, S. G., Sawyer, A. T., Witt, A. A., & Oh, D. (2010). The effect of mindfulness-based therapy on anxiety and depression: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 78(2), 169–183. doi:10.1037/a0018555
Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Mindfulness-based interventions in context: Past, present, and future. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 144–156. doi:10.1093/clipsy.bpg016
Kommentare