What is Mindful Yoga?

November 23, 2020 by moliver3

Many thought that yoga is a form of mindfulness – it is and it is not. Yoga may be done just like any other form of exercise or workout. If you want your Yoga practice to be more beneficial, you can opt to incorporate mindfulness in it by doing mindful yoga. Here’s all you need to know about mindful yoga.

Mindful Yoga

The benefits of mindfulness are well-known to everyone as it is proven effective for almost anyone who is practicing it. Mindful Yoga is yet to be popular. It is the application of traditional Buddhist mindfulness teachings on the physical practice of yoga. Going deeper and making it a life-changing approach.

Mindfulness has been always associated with the practice of yoga. Mindful yoga focuses on the mind and body awareness where a person practicing it cares much about the sensations that yoga brings rather than on their body alignment and physical posture. The goal of mindfulness in yoga is to cultivate mindfulness and bring awareness to the physical activity by shifting the focus to the exact moment and transforming every movements to a form of meditation. Mindful yoga is a form of observation rather than reacting. You get to observe your mind and how your body feels while doing different yoga pose.

MBSR or Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction is a practical training program developed by researchers and scientist to assist people who are suffering from anxiety, depression and pain. It is backed up by science and was proven to be effective in decreasing the participant’s symptoms.

4 Foundations of Mindful Yoga

1. Mindfulness of the Body

Awareness of the body is just one of the four foundations of mindfulness. As the body is a collection of many parts, the skin, bones, teeth, nails and all the other parts are within an even bigger or larger entity – the body. Mindfulness helps us train ourselves to observe out body part by part, rather than focus on the whole body itself.

2. Mindfulness of Feelings

Mindfulness is defined as a state of awareness which means that one should be aware of both your bodily sensations and emotions. These feelings may be pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Mindfulness makes us observe and fully acknowledge such feelings, in this way we learn to accept and be more aware of it. That feelings are just an emotion or sensation that should not overpower us but instead make us see the truth in ourselves.

3. Mindfulness of Mind

The mindfulness of mind does not refer to the mind that is responsible for thinking but more on the consciousness or awareness side of the mind. Since the mind has many wonders, the information that it gathers has a great impact on our internal mental status. If we pay attention more on how the thought rises than what our thoughts are, then we may learn not to attach ourselves or our identity in these thoughts.

4. Mindfulness of Dharma

“Dharma” is a Sanskrit word which means “Yoga”. It can also be defined as the “natural law” or “the way things are”. Another foundation of mindfulness is that of mental objects where we learn that everything that we see around us exists for us only as mental objects. They are a manifestation of reality that was translated in our mind through our senses.

Mindfulness of Dharma is a practice of awareness of the existence of the things that is surrounding you and being aware that they are only temporary and conditioned by everything else.

4 Mindful Yoga Poses

1. Savasana or the Corpse pose

Savanasa is just one of the 4 poses that was taught by Buddha. It is done by lying on your back with your feet at least 12 to 18 inches apart, arms at your sides a few inches away from your torso with the palms facing upwards. Let your gravity overcome your body and surrender your full weight to it. You can do it to start or end your yoga practice.

While on this position, focus on your breathing and your bodily sensations. Let it overwhelm your body and observe how your body reacts to it. If your mind wanders, try to bring it back to the breath and the body.

2. Eye-of-the-Needle Pose

After Savasana, still lying on the floor, place your other right shin on your left thigh then draw your left knee towards your chest. Reach between your legs with your arm and around the outside of the left leg with your left arm and clasp your hands. Observe if your breathing was held or restricted while stretching and then continue your normal breathing.

3. Cat- Cow Pose

Position your body on a hands and knees position with the hands directly under the shoulders and the knees under the hips. On inhalation, tilt the pelvis forward, opening the belly toward the floor and let the spine move into the torso creating a gentle backbend. Reach the crown of your head and tailbone towards the celing. While exhaling, round your back and scoop the tailbone between your legs then tilt your head to gaze back towards the thigh. Do this a couple of times while breathing normally.

4. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)

Do a downward facing dog pose. Tuck your toes under, lift your hips and strengthen your legs. Coordinate your breathing as you straighten both of your legs and stay on this position and do at least 8 to 15 breaths. Enjoy the experience and create different postures. Don’t forget to put yourself in a state of awareness while practicing this yoga pose.

There are many other yoga poses that you could try. These are only a few examples of it. Yoga is a good practice of mindfulness as it coordinates both the mind and the body benefitting both of it. Let us know if you were able to try these yoga pose and how it change your life.

Mindful Running And Mindful Exercise: Your Fitness Journey

November 23, 2020 by moliver3

If you are a fan of the great outdoors and enjoy simple runs then maybe this is for you. Did you know that you can actually do exercise activities while practicing mindfulness? Feel the fresh air as you appreciate the beauty of nature while being active. Start your health and fitness journey now.

Mindful Running

With mindfulness having a number of proven health benefits, we can continuously add it to our daily routine. We often associate mindfulness with a state of silence and awareness, but you can actually combine it with other healthy pursuits that is really helpful in elevating one’s sense of well-being.

Studies suggested that meditation can be done along with running or walking. It was able to reduce symptoms of depression in people who are suffering from it and increased their mental health. The outdoors and the natural sounds that it makes are great psychological factors that impacts a person’s performance in life or even at work. It has a way of encouraging people to reflect inwardly while running and focus on their body showing great results. Running also tones down possible distractions that is present during other mindfulness practices. Here some advice you can follow for better results of mindful running:

Release yourself from unwanted distractions and daily pressures that life brings while running.
Feel the flow in your body and listen to it: your breathing, your posture and your heightened senses.
Breathing mindfully is a great response to stress, try to focus more on the process of breathing. Breathe through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Connect with the memories that are associated with your body. It may be a recent injury of experience related to running or other activities. Doing this will help you create a deeper connection with yourself.
Keep the internal conversations between you and your body and not with other people. Sometimes, it’s best that you talk with yourself and assess how is your current state or condition in the moment.
Don’t worry about the anchor points or timing devices – just listen to what your body wants and what it needs.

Mindful Exercise

Some people just love exercising so much. But what if you can do exercising while being in a state of mindfulness? It is the same as hitting two birds with one stone – your body and mind become healthy at the same time. The difference between mindful workout and a traditional mindfulness practice is instead of zoning out and feeding your mindful with unnecessary thoughts, you will draw your mind back to the physical activity that you are doing and focuses on connecting the two activities together. Mindful exercises or workouts involves paying much attention to the flow that happens in the body while being in a state of awareness through exercising. It is a good way to unify the mind, body and breathing practices.

Here are few helpful tips to help create a more grounded practice of mindful exercising:

1. Prepare your mind before your body

It is hard to do any activity if you already have a busy schedule. In order to practice mindful exercise better, you need to take a portion of your day just for mindfulness. It is important to bring your mind to a neutral state prior to the start of the exercise by doing a few minutes of mindful breathing as a way of clearing your mind and preparing it for the exercise.

2. Create a purpose every time you exercise

Having a purpose before doing any activity is a great motivator. Any person who wants to do something has a goal, and for mindful exercise you can set one purpose for doing so – to lose weight. Your goal will keep you in track and maintain the focus that you needed in order to attain it.

3. Take it slow

Do not exercise just because it is a “to-do” item on your list. Don’t make it as a chore and let it just be a part of your daily life. Give yourself a permission to take time and engage your full body. Be thankful and grateful about many things in your life and appreciate how exercising not only benefits your but most importantly, your mind.

Top 10 Mindful Eating Books

September 23, 2020 by moliver3

Mindfulness has been a popular practice these days especially when the majority are required to stay inside their homes. One way of practicing mindfulness is through mindful eating. Mindful eating is one of the powerful ways of meditating by focusing on your food. We listed down books that are proven to work and can help you during your mindful eating journey.

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is a practice of mindfulness. It was said that this concept was from the Buddhist. It is a known form of meditation that will help you recognize your emotions and feelings properly and cope up with it by combining food and meditation. During Mindful eating, one is expected to put their full focus on the process and experience when eating. Mindful eating involves:

Eating slowly.
Minimizes distractions prior to starting.
Listening to the cues of your body for hunger.
Eating only until you are full enough.
Distinguish true hunger from non-hunger triggers for eating.
Engaging your senses by focusing on what you see, what you smell, the sound you make, the flavor and the texture of the food.
Coping with your problems that is the cause of your anxiety with food.
Eating properly to maintain overall health and well-being
See how the food affects your feelings and even your figure.
Appreciate the food you are eating.

Mindful Eating Books

1. Eating Mindfully By Susa Albers Psy.D

The book is currently on its 2^nd edition. It is one of the first books written regarding mindful eating that was created for the view of a psychologist who is practicing her profession. All the writings on the book were based from her experiences in the clinics, real-life stories and even research.

2. Body Kindness: Transform Your Health From The Inside Out – And Never Say Diet Again By Rebecca Scritchfield

Food diet may have been one of your choices when it comes to losing weight but some who researched thoroughly may find themselves looking at books about mindful eating. Unlike the others, this book explores many facets of self-care and support one’s journey to heal with the use of food. It is explained through a conversational way where you will feel like you’ve been talking to her seriously with your struggle and problems in life. The author, Rebecca, has been a practicing counselor for years and this will be seen in her book as she shares her experiences and personal stories.

3. Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionaty Program That Works By Evelyn Tribole And Elyse Resch

This book is not just about mindful eating, but it is a more intuitive way of eating. Intuitive eating is more of a process of changing how you view food and eating. It tells the readers how intelligent the human body is and how it doesn’t need the measurement, calorie counting, weight taking to achieve the healthy body that you want. Listening to your body may be the best way of understanding it and following its desires may lead you to your healthiest self. The facts stated in this book are also backed up by science, not just another hearsay or a story made up by the authors.

4. Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think By Brian Wansink

Mindful eating is better understood when you learn about mindless eating. Brian Wansink was dubbed as “The Sherlock Holmes of Food” because of his fascinating and clever ways with food. He shared it on this book where he focuses on the mindless eating environment and researches regarding how the groceries, restaurants, and other products mindlessly lead us into eating more than we think we already do. The book has also scientific evidence which validates all of the authors claims.

5. Eat What You Love, Love What You Wat With Diabetes: A Mindful Eating Program Thriving With Prediabetes Or Diabetes By Michelle May MD

Unlike the other books who catered to the general population, this book on mindful eating focuses on people who are prone to acquiring diabetes, are pre-diabetic and those who are diagnosed with diabetes. Michelle May is a practicing doctor and has a first-hand experience with these patients. She knows best how important the mind is in having the discipline and achieving the goal of a healthy self.

6. Meal By Meal: 365 Daily Meditations For Finding Balance Through Mindful Eating By Donald Altman

It was said that mindful eating is a Buddhist concept. Donald Altman is not only a practicing psychotherapist but also a former Buddhist monk. He was able to incorporate the knowledge and practices of Buddhism in his book. It does not only provide a year worth of daily meditations but also provides inspirational quotes and tips on mindful eating.

7. Harvest For Hope: A Guide To Mindful Eating By Jane Goodall, Gary McAvoy and Gail Hudson.

These trio are renowned scientist who take a hard look at the food that we produce and eat. They were able to incorporate the science of eating to changing the individual and the environment positively. They also looked at how the making of food and products has a factor in achieving a good mindfulness.

8. The Self Compassion Diet By Jean Fain MSW

It may say the word “Diet” in the title but it is not really a diet book. It is a compassionate book on mindful eating where self-compassion was used as a great factor in eating mindfully. Jean Fain is not only a psychotherapist but also a teacher at Cambridge Health Alliance. Like the others, she shares her knowledge and experiences in handling patients in her book.

9. The Joy of Half a Cookie: Using Mindfulness to Lose Weight and End the Struggle with Food by Jean Kristeller, PhD

The author’s Mindful Eating Training programs shows how mindfulness techniques can transform your relationship with food. The book is filled with different effective practices that will lead you to healthier choices with food. It is also a tool to help you “tune in to your own hunger experiences” and begin your journey to awareness and mindful eating.

10. Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Lilian Cheung

Thich Nhat Hanh is a renowned Zen Buddhist master which Lilian Cheing is a Harvard nutritionist. This powerful duo collaborated to make this book on mindful eating. It is what everyone is hoping for: a mix of mindfulness and proper nutrition. It does not only teaches you to achieve full awareness when eating but also pay attention to your eating habits to eat healthier. They were also able to put some healthy alternatives to the popular food and practical exercises on mindful eating.

Let us know if you read any of this book and found your way to better health. Mindful eating is a practice of the mind and the body and is not a diet regimen.

Can Mindfulness Help With Weight Loss?

September 23, 2020September 13, 2020 by moliver3

During this quarantine, there are a lot of people who spent their time mostly at home. Many browse the internet and often found themselves watching YouTube videos especially those inspiring workout videos. They are really inspiring to watch but not everyone has the motivation to do the work. Mindfulness is a great alternative in losing weight, without having to exert much effort like in working out.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a way of being present and fully focused on whatever it is that is happening at the present moment. With mindfulness, you remove all the possible distractions around you and free yourself from it while focusing about your thoughts and feelings during meditation.

Some say that mindfulness is also a training. It is a way of training us to pay close attention to ourselves by not worrying about the challenging past, the unexpected present and the unknown future. These three things are the most common cause of stress for any individual who’s living their life.

Take note though, that mindfulness is not like Buddhism or any kind of religion. It does have a belief system and the science of mindfulness are mostly based on research. Meaning, many scientists were able to prove the benefits of mindfulness in many aspects of our lives.

Mindful Eating

There are many ways on how to practice mindfulness. You may not even realize it, but you may be doing it every day. The practice of mindfulness has a lot of different exercises. Some of which can actually help you with your weight loss. The most popular one is Mindful Eating.

The Digestive system is composed of complex processes that somehow send signals to the brain to register satiety. If a person eats too fast and overeats, these might send signals to the brain causing them to feel fullness. Being distracted while eating may also slow down the digestive process causing us to have indigestion and this might lead to us not getting enough nutrition from the food that we are eating.

Mindful Eating, also called as “intuitive eating” is when a person brings themselves on a state of awareness while eating. Mindful eating is a way of bringing your full attention on your food: how it smells, taste, the color, and even the sensations you felt while eating. It is a way of appreciating the process of eating and allowing it to enter your mind and body. Mindful Eating is not a weight-loss cure in itself, but it is a part of a bigger approach that can lead a person to eating healthy leading to their goal to lose weight.

Mindfulness and Eating

Mindfulness can actually work when you use it the right way. It may not work as much as other diet therapies, but it is one way of figuring out how to eat right. This does not only help your mind but also keeps your body fit and healthy.

1. Before eating anything: Pause and Think.

A big part of mindful eating is thinking about why you chose the food and why are you eating it. Before you start eating feel your body: Is your stomach growling? Are you attracted to your food? Can you feel your mouth salivating? Consider all of these factors before eating. Pausing prior to eating allows us to make eating more purposeful and allows us to focus more on what we are doing.

2. Take a Bite and Chew

Get a piece of that food and slowly put it on your tongue. Savor every sensation that you felt while the food was in your mouth: What does it taste? Are the flavors amazing? Does it change your mood? Did you feel the sensations flowing through your body as you chew?

Do not slurp or inhale your food in front of you. This does not only look good, but it can actually affect your digestion causing it to slow down. Also, you will miss out the different flavors and the texture of the food as you are too busy satisfying your hunger. Chewing properly is a part of mindful eating as it allows you to totally experience the process of eating itself. Make sure to completely chew your food before you swallow it.

3. Drink Water before Meals

Some researches advice people to drink water before having meals as this is also one way of preventing yourself from overeating. It is usually easy to do and eventually becomes a habit as time goes by. Also, drinking water prior to meals allows you to have some time to clear your thoughts and focus on the upcoming process of eating.

4. Choose Colorful and Flavorful Foods

The eyes not only guide us to see around us but also shows us to the wonders of life. Choosing a colorful and flavorful meal composed of unprocessed foods has a great importance in Mindful Eating. Naturally healthy and whole foods have unique flavors that you cannot get from eating processed foods.

5. Do not be distracted

If possible, close any gadgets that you have that might interfere with your meditation. You should only be able to focus on what you are eating. Also, by doing this, you will not be easily distracted, and your full attention will be on the process of eating only.

Research shows that the noise your food makes when you eat can actually influence how much food you consume. The sound can either make you eat a lot or less. People who often eat with their earphones on is prone to overeating.

6. Count to Twenty

Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for the digestive system to actually send signals to your brain to tell it that you are full? In this small window of time, you might find yourself overeating. Consider taking a break in a buffet before getting another plate for your round two. The waiting period gives time for your body to process the food that you ate.

Everyone wants to lose weight, but we all know that it includes a lot of work before it can be achieved. Mindfulness is only one of the ways that you can use to lose weight. This should be combined with exercise can help attain your goal to be fit and fab this quarantine.

What Is A Mindfulness Colouring?

September 23, 2020September 7, 2020 by moliver3

Many things happened unexpectedly this year, from terrorists’ attacks to an epidemic that caused the lives of so many people. People has been forced more often than not to stay inside their homes and temporarily stop the normal routine in their lives. Spending a lot of time at home can cause one to think too much and mindfulness is just one way of getting rid whatever is inside your mind.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is just one of the common practices that helps divert your attention and purposely focus on what is happening at the present moment – accepting it without judgement. It is achieved when a person reaches a certain state where they become more aware of the present moment while acknowledging and accepting whatever it is that they are feeling, thinking, and the bodily sensations that is overflowing in their body.

Benefits of Mindfulness

Improves well-being

Mindfulness increases your capacity to support many attitudes that contribute to a more satisfied life. The state of mindfulness makes it easier for one to enjoy the pleasures of life. It also allows you to be fully engaged in activities and increase your capability to face future untoward events. Many people who practices mindfulness see the differences on different aspects of their lives – they worry less about their stressors, the present and the unknown future. They become less preoccupied on the pressure to be successful and are able to make better and deeper connections with other people.

Improves physical health

The mind and the body are interrelated. One works because of the other. When one is harmed, it causes the other to disfunction. Using mindfulness to connect the body and the mind is a great way of improving one’s physical health. Many studies done showed significant results on using mindfulness in relieving stress, lessening the chances of having a cardiac disease, lowers blood pressure, reduces chronic pain and improves sleep.

Improves Mental health

Mindfulness, as a part of science, has its own contributions when it comes to treating a person suffering from any mental health problems. Psychologists and Psychiatrist proved the success of using mindfulness in treating a number of mental illness such as: depression, substance abuse, eating disorders, conflicts, anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The ability of state of mindfulness to help a person accept their experiences – past, present and future. It has a great impact on how people who are suffering from such disorders are able to cope with it.

Mindfulness Colouring

Mindful colouring is another technique of mindfulness where you bring one’s awareness to the present moment by consciously focusing on colouring and designing. Unlike the other techniques where you focus on breathing, mindful colouring focuses on the weight of the pencil on your hand, the shade of colours that you are painting or colouring your paper, and the feelings that is filling your body as you are doing the activity.

Mindful colouring is almost similar to meditation. We let go of any thoughts about tomorrow or yesterday or when you are going to finish the activity. If you catch yourself thinking about the past or the future, revert your mind again to what you are doing in the present moment by describing it. Let go of your judgements while colouring and don’t think if what you are doing is good or bad, amazing or terrible and whether the outcome will be good or not. Remember, the focus of mindful colouring is the process of it, not the possible outcome of colouring. There is no right or wrong way to colour. Think of it as one way of expressing yourself. In mindful colouring, we pay attention on what is happening on the present with curiosity, openness and acceptance.

Effects of Mindfulness Colouring

According to researches, mindful colouring was found to be a great way to reduce a person’s anxiety and stress. It diverts one’s attention from the stressor and allows them to switch off these thoughts and focus on colouring.

It was also found to improve sleeping patterns especially for people who are having a hard time sleeping. It improves a person’s vision and motor skills. The semi-mediative state that the mindful colouring has caused can provide us with some much-needed brain relief by lowering the activity of the amygdala, the part of the brain which controls emotion. Lastly, it helps build our focusing skills that is definitely helpful in studying and foster a sense of compassion.

Why Is Grounding Important In Meditation?

July 15, 2020 by moliver3

Are you tired recently, and you want to relax yourself and clear your mind? Make one with nature and your spirit by practicing Grounding meditation. What are the benefits of Grounding meditation and its difference with other types of meditation?

What is Grounding Meditation?

Putting the meaning of grounding into words is quite hard because there is not an exact word that can describe the experience of it. For the sake of understanding what grounding is, we will define it. Grounding is more of a spiritual term that refers to connecting your soul and body to the environment, or the Earth. It helps you make a connection with the surroundings which makes you feel safer and it lessens the anxiety and fear that someone experience on a daily basis.

Two Types of Grounding Meditation:

Concentration Meditation

Concentration meditation includes focusing your attention on a single object or point. In this type of meditation, one needs to refocus its attention on a single object when the mind seems to be wandering. Instead of stopping your thoughts, concentration meditation allows you to let go of these disturbances. It is improving the cognitive processes by helping you to focus your attention properly and higher perception of details.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation encourage the person whose mind is wandering to observe these thoughts and reflect on it. The goal of this type of meditation is to be more aware of one’s thoughts and feelings. It allows a person to accept who he or she truly are and know it better. Mindfulness meditation increases a person’s self-awareness, body awareness, regulates the emotion and attention and decreases stress and anxiety. Aside from that, this also helps you have a good sleep at night and take care of your overall health.

Benefits of Grounding Meditation

There have been numerous studies regarding grounding meditation, also called as earthing, which showed how connecting with the environment has a way of healing a person on its own. Here are some proven benefits of grounding meditation from recent studies:

Decreases inflammation and pain

One study showed improvement on a 44-year old woman who reportedly have a chronic back pain. Upon monitoring through thermography, the red areas (hot areas) of pain and inflammation were lessened after practicing grounding. After 4 weeks of continuously meditating, she reported that almost more than half of her pain is gone, no more sleep interference, and the stiffness and soreness in the morning is almost gone. By 8 weeks, she reported that the pain she was experience before was completely gone.

Lowers stress level

Cortisol is a steroid hormone naturally produces by the body that helps regulate the wide range of processes in the body which includes the immune response and metabolism. Grounding helps normalize the level of cortisol in the body. It lessens premenstrual symptoms and hot flushed and makes one sleep faster. The participants also reported that they feel more refreshed and energetic after. They also noticed that they are less emotional and stressed.

Improves blood circulation

Grounding was also proven to improves the oxygen delivery capacity of the blood and brings the nutrients to the tissues in the body. Grounding helps regulate the blood supply of the body more efficiently on the abdomen, on vital organs and on the face resulting to better digestion and better functioning of the organs.

References:

https://www.the-guided-meditation-site.com/what-is-grounding.html

https://alignedandwell.com/grounding-meditation/

https://chopra.com/articles/grounding-the-human-body-the-healing-benefits-of-earthing

Ten Quick Mindfulness Exercises

July 15, 2020July 11, 2020 by moliver3

With the recent events, many people are forced to stay at home and wait on what will happen. The fear of the unknown starts to bother us and sooner or later we found ourselves anxious. We listed down mindfulness exercises which helps you pause and reset your focus on what’s important in your life.

Mindfulness Exercises

START YOUR DAY RIGHT. The unconscious brain is the one who is responsible for all the decision-making and behaviors that we do. Practicing mindfulness as early as you woke up helps strengthen the connection between the higher and the lower brain centers. Doing so, you will see a change in how you deal with your day. You should practice this before doing anything such as checking your phone or even getting out of bed.

Upon waking up, sit on your bed or on a chair in a relaxed manner. Keeping your posture in check. Feel the sensations that overwhelms your body. Make sure that your spine is straight, and you are not straining your back.
Three deep breaths. This goes a long way. Breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Follow the rhythm of your breathing and focus on it. Feel your chest as it rises and fall during each breath.
Keep in mind how you want your day to go. Set an intention for the day for example, “Today, I will be more patient with other and I will try to spread kindness in any ways I can”. Throughout the day make sure to keep yourself in check. Don’t hesitate to pause when needed and clear your mind. This helps a lot when you are tired and need to focus on things.

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS WHEN EATING. Who knew that you can also practice mindfulness when you are enjoying a meal? Eating is one of the most enjoyable things that us, human beings, do every day. Everyone is looking forward for lunch and breaks in between school and work.

Eat and suffice your hunger. Make sure to choose mindfully what to eat, when to eat, how much you should eat. This quick exercise may not be considered as mindfulness for your, but it is a simple practice of it that guides you in understanding what your body really needs. Do not force yourself to eat certain foods that you don’t like. Doing so will lessen your enjoyment of your meal and might make you feel uncomfortable for the rest of the day.
Peacefully finish your meal. Do not be in a hurry to finish your food. Slow down and savor the flavor of the food you are eating. This enhances digestion by making your body relaxed.

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS ANYWHERE YOU ARE. The brain is composed of a complicated wiring that is responsible for our thoughts, feelings and intelligence. It is overwhelmed with so much job that sometimes it slows down.

Do new things. Doing new things can help rewire and excite your brain making it stronger. If you want to try yoga, go ahead and put a mat on the floor to entice you to meditate. Seeing it multiple times a day will trigger your brain and be in charge. Sooner or later you will see yourself meditating every day.
Create new patterns. When your brain is used to a pattern that you’ve been doing for the longest time, it slows down as time goes by. Try to create new patterns and incorporate mindfulness in your everyday. For example, before waking up make sure to take a minute for yourself and have 3 deep breaths.
Try workouts. Working out is not only a way of burning the calories that you’ve gained from eating but also it is known for improving someone’s over-all health. Choose from the variety of exercises that are available. You can try yoga if you are a newbie. Make sure to warm up first for at least 5 minutes before starting anything. Concentrate on matching the rhythm of your body and your breathing. This aligns the activity of the brain, heart and the nervous system. After exercising, steadily cool down and feel the energy of your surroundings.
Mindfulness when driving. Before starting any activity, take deep breaths. The inhaled oxygen awakens your body and mind preparing you for the hustle and bustle while driving. To have a sense of safety and ease, when you are put to stop, look at your surroundings or the other cars around you. You may be lucky enough to see a miracle happening or an act of kindness.
Mindfulness when talking to people. When you met someone for the first time, you often look at their eyes, their expression, how they talk and even their postures. You will notice these small details within a short period of time. Take deep breaths and feel the sensations of your body as you start interacting with someone. If you feel like your mind is wandering, accept it and bring back your focus to the one you are talking to.

It is amazing how mindfulness can be practiced in almost about everything. Meditating does not need to take long hours, sometime a breath or two is all you need. It is enough to calm yourself down and provide you the peace that you needed within a full day.

References:

https://www.mindful.org/take-a-mindful-moment-5-simple-practices-for-daily-life/

http://www.ihi.org/communities/blogs/10-mindfulness-exercises-for-the-health-care-workplace

https://psychcentral.com/blog/1-minute-mindfulness-exercises/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

https://www.mindful.org/10-ways-mindful-work/

Why you should practice mindfulness

July 10, 2020February 24, 2017 by moliver3

The Benefits of Mindfulness

The effects of mindfulness on a wide range of groups have been robustly tested and researched in some of the world’s leading universities.

The benefits fall into three main categories: general improvement of physical and mental wellbeing; a reduction or slowing down in some symptoms of physical illness; and a reduction of frequency and intensity of some destructive or unpleasant moods or feelings. Amongst the many researched benefits are:

Significant improvement in emotional and social functioning
Improvement in general health and vitality
Reduction in visits to healthcare provider
Effective method of stress reduction
Reduction in psychological distress for sufferers of long term conditions
Speeding up in clearance of skin lesions in patients with psoriasis
Boosting of the immune response to vaccination
35% reduction in the symptoms of stress experienced by group of cancer patients
65% improvement in quality of life experienced by group of cancer patients
Reduction in blood pressure in patients with mid to moderate hypertension
Significant reduction in blood pressure amongst healthy adolescent students
Significant long-term improvement in anxiety levels amongst patients suffering from anxiety disorders
Significant reduction in the recurrence of depression amongst people with three or more previous episodes of depression
Reduced intake of pain relieving medications amongst chronic pain sufferers
Reduced levels of depression and anxiety after eight week mindfulness programme

Because regular practice of mindfulness can result in such a wide range of benefits, both physical and mental, for people whether they are well or suffering illness, Mindfulness Scotland wishes to make the practices of mindfulness become a mainstream norm across all strands of Scottish life.

Stressful lives often lead to us living on ‘automatic pilot’. When this becomes our habitual state, it can be associated with a number of stress related health problems.

When we can get in touch with qualities of mindfulness, the sense of brightness, clarity of purpose and sense of playfulness, creativity and inner peace, has many health benefits.

But don’t just take our word for it. The well-being felt through practicing mindfulness is evidenced-based.

In an urban study in 2004 mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), an eight week programme showed significant improvement in the participants’ emotional and social functioning, as well as their general health and vitality.
MBSR can improve physical symptoms and psychological distress as well as improve general wellbeing. An analysis of 20 published and unpublished studies of MBSR indicate that MBSR is an effective method of stress reduction, associated with clear benefits in terms of overall health.
MBSR has also been shown to have positive therapeutic effects in medical students, who commonly report high levels or stress and low levels of psychological wellbeing.
Results from another recent study showed that the number of visits made by urban patients to their healthcare provider was substantially reduced following the completion of a MBSR training programme.
The positive impact of meditative techniques such as MBSR and TM is also evident in their beneficial effect on stress-related medical conditions, For example, the combination of conventional treatment and MBSR produced complete clearance of skin lesions in patients with stress related skin disorder psoriasis in a much shorter time than conventional therapy alone. Similar benefits have been found in people with asthma.
Mindfulness meditation has been shown to boost the immune response to a vaccination, and meditation has also been shown to reduce the body’s immune response to stress, such as that evoked by prolonged strenuous activity.
In another study, regular meditative practice was shown to significantly increase melatonin levels in patients with breast cancer
In a study of the effect MBSR in patients with breast and prostate cancer, eight weeks of MBSR practice resulted in improvements in the symptoms of stress experienced by the patients and a general improvement in quality of life.
The strongest evidence for the use of medication in patients with cancer stems from a study that showed that MBSR led to a 65 per cent improvement in mood and a 35 per cent chance reduction in stress symptoms in a mixed population of cancer patients.
In a recent study, patients with a mild to moderate hypertension were randomly assigned to two treatment groups, the first group received instruction in contemplative meditation with breathing technique (CMBT) and followed an eight week practice schedule. The second group did not receive CMBT, and acted as a control. Those in the CMBT group were found to have lower blood pressure compared with the control patients, both at rest and during exercise.
One study of healthy, adolescent students showed MBSR leads to a significant reduction in blood pressure, both at rest and during the day at school and other studies are on-going.
In one long term study, patients with anxiety disorders showed significant improvement in both subjective and objective measure of anxiety levels following three years of meditative practice.
Patients with anxiety and depression undergoing a three month programme in MBCT reported significant improvements in their emotional state, and more than half continued with the mindfulness-based technique after the programme.
MBCT was found to significantly reduce the risk of depressive relapse in patients who has three or more previous episodes of depression (which was more than three quarters of the participants.
An eight week MBSR programme showed promise as a new method of quitting smoking with more than half the participants still abstinent six weeks after completing the programme.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed MBSR, reports that 65 per cent of rational medical care showed marked improvements in pain after ten weeks with MBSR. The majority also showed improvement in mood disturbances and the number of troublesome symptoms.
Exploring these benefits in greater detail found that mindfulness meditation improved patient’s body image and self esteem and their ability to carry out everyday activates, lessened psychological problems such as anxiety and depression, and reduced patients consumption of pain relieving medications.
One eight week MBSR programme produced improvements in mood and reduced levels of depression and anxiety.

References

Source: http://www.mindfulnessscotland.org.uk/benefits/

One minute a day – an ancient Japanese self-improvement strategy

July 10, 2020February 2, 2017 by moliver3

The One-Minute Principle For Self-Improvement

At the heart of this method is the idea that a person should practice doing something for a single minute, every day at the same time.

Almost all of us periodically set ourselves a new goal or challenge — and just as often in the end we fail to achieve it. We end up telling ourselves that we’re just not ready yet, that we’ll do it next week, next month…next year.

We might even pursue them with zeal at the start. But once we’ve made a small amount of effort, we’ll tell ourselves we’ve done enough, and it’s time to take this whole “starting a new life” thing more slowly.

Why does it always turn out like this? The answer’s fairly obvious: because we try to achieve too much, too fast, we get sick of the new responsibility and, because it’s difficult to change old habits and try something new.

Kaizen is the simple technique of practicing something for one minute every day.

Just One Minute A Day

In Japanese culture there exists the practice of Kaizen, which includes the idea of the “one-minute principle” for self-improvement. At the heart of this method is the idea that a person should practice doing something for a single minute, every day at the same time.

You can’t do Kaizen just once or twice and expect immediate results. You have to be in it for the long haul. — Masaaki Imai

Clearly, it shouldn’t be any trouble for absolutely anyone — even the laziest person — to carry out a given task for such a small amount of time. Whereas you will more often than not find an excuse not to do something when faced with carrying it out for 30 minutes or an hour a day, you should be able to do it without any misgivings for just 60 seconds.

Even the biggest mountain can seem smaller if you take it one step at a time.

The Pursuit of Continuous Improvement

Whether it’s doing press-ups or reading a book in a foreign language, in this case the task before you won’t seem like something unpleasant which you have to get through, but will instead be an activity which brings you joy and satisfaction. By taking one little step at a time, you will move on to the path of self-perfection and achieve great results.

When you’re inspired by such feelings, you will gradually begin to increase the amount of time you spend doing the task which you have set yourself.

It’s important to overcome that lack of confidence you might have in your own abilities, as well as free yourself from those feelings of guilt and helplessness.

A simple technique that requires daily discipline to achieve noticeable results.

Celebrate Each Step Forward

You need to experience a sense of victory and success to move forward. When you’re inspired by such feelings, you will gradually begin to increase the amount of time you spend doing the task which you have set yourself.

Maybe at first just for five minutes more, but then this will soon turn into half an hour, and then even longer after that.

In this way, the one-minute principle lets you see the progress you’re making right before your eyes.

Each step that you take in your personal growth is a cause for celebration.

Change and Wisdom

Kaizen originated in Japan. The word itself contains two roots — “kai” (change) and “zen” (wisdom). It was invented by Masaaki Imai, who believes this philosophy can can be applied just as successfully to the world of business as it can to one’s personal life.

The word itself contains two roots — “kai” (change) and “zen” (wisdom).

At first glance, this practice might seem doubtful and ineffective for people who have grown up in Western culture, with its emphasis on the idea that results can be achieved only by undertaking immense efforts.

Imagine what you could achieve through the pursuit of continuous improvement.

Applicable for Everybody

But elaborate, challenging programs of self-improvement which deprive a person of huge amounts of energy can simply end up exhausting them, and leave no tangible results. Kaizan is something that anyone can attempt in virtually any sphere of their life. In Japan, for example, it is often applied to improve management techniques.

All you have to do is understand what it is you want to achieve, and you’re already set to go.

First published on http://upliftconnect.com/japanese-overcoming-laziness/ by Helen Noronha