You might have heard about mindfulness, the practice of mindful yoga, mindful meditation and all other sort of activities to “keep you centred.” But what is it? why do people do it? and why on earth is it so popular?
Mindfulness is “the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment.” Mindful meditation teaches you how to focus on the present moment. To block out all other distractions and to
1. Focus on your breathing,
2. Focus on your body,
3. Focus on your mind and mental health.
When it comes to meditation and conscious breathing exercises we either fall asleep or let our mind wander as far as it can possibly go. Mindful meditation makes us aware that we are drifting, and it slowly guides us back to the centre of our meditation.
I began mindful mediation about a year ago to help me sleep a lot faster and better. I am one of those people who would get into bed and think about all the scenarios that would never happen, how someone interrupted me in the middle of a conversation, or the points I would have said during an argument that I didn’t say. It would keep me up for hours. Not only would it occupy my mind, but those thoughts would occupy my subconscious and I would end up dreaming about it.
I had enough. I needed a change of routine, and I desperately needed to sleep well. So, I began mediation using an app on my phone. This first app was great. But only for a few weeks until it told me to pay over £300 for the year. That was a big no. My peace of mind means a lot to me, but £300 was pushing it.
Now, mindful meditation is not as easy as it may sound. When your mind is at a place of peace and your body is still, it is easy to fall asleep. And that is the challenge. Staying awake and focusing on the process. Mindful meditation helps those who suffer from anxiety, extreme stress, anger and even obsessive traits. In order to see change, you should practice it as frequently as possible.
I use the “Breathe” app which begins by asking you how you are feeling physically and emotionally. It recommends types of meditations such as kindness, counting breaths and body scan. When they are over it asks you how you’re feeling once again. Keeping track of your pre and post mood will help you to identify what you need to do when you are feeling a certain way and how to manage that negative emotion or how to maintain a positive emotion.
This all sounds very wonderful, but you may be asking why would I take time off my day to do this? Well, mindfulness is letting go of taking things for granted. In our day to day lives, we experience little miracles that we may not be thankful for.
Mindfulness returns you to the present moment. As I mentioned earlier, as you meditate, your mind will wander, active mindful meditation brings you back to the present moment, so you may focus on the now. In the long run, meditation will:
Decrease stress,
Improve your ability to manage illnesses
Improve recovery time
Decrease depressive symptoms
Improve your stamina and concentration levels.
The app can be found on IOS and android. I hope you love it as much as I do!
See you soon! xxx
