Mindfulness Part 2

So here we are at Mindfulness Part 2.

So how did you go with the mindful breathing this week?

It has been a good reminder for me to continue with my mindfulness and meditation practice.

Let’s revisit the process.

Find a place where you won’t be disturbed and either stand, sit or lie down, whichever is most comfortable, and take a breath in through your nose for a count of 3, hold your breath for a count of 2 and a long slow exhale for a count of 4.

The more you practice mindfulness the easier it is to use when you may be feeling stressed or under pressure.

So for your own health, developing a regular practice building up to 15 minutes per day is a great form of self-care.

There have been, and are lots of, different studies being undertaken on mindfulness/meditation and the results are in – mindfulness has many benefits for us!

• Improved mental clarity, focus and awareness

• Reduces stress and calms the nervous system

• Increases compassion for ourselves and each other

  
  

Improved mental health

Being responsive, rather than reactive, leads to healthier and happier relationships and families.

It will be interesting to see with future studies what other benefits mindfulness/meditation offers.  The benefits develop over time and committing to regular practice these benefits will deepen and enhance your life even more.

The mindful website is where you can find lots of information on mindfulness.

At Free Resources, Free Mindfulness, they have downloads for different mindfulness practices such as:

Breathingthe focus is on awareness of the breath and can be done while seated or standing.

Body scanstakes you on a journey through your body, allowing you to become curious of all the different experiences and sensations you notice in your body.

Sittingsitting mindful/meditations have a focus on the breath and can incorporate your body and thoughts and can expand to notice beyond yourself, such as noises in the room or outside.

Movementmovement can include walking, yoga, or stretching, with a focus on the breath, and the sensations of the body, while mindfully walking, stretching or doing yoga, and then being still and noticing non-judgmentally what sensations you experience.

Guided imagerythis is a mountain meditation which has been adapted from Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Self Guided Mindfulness Exercisesfor those who would like to do their own mindfulness, there are different time options using bells to let you know when to finish or where you are in your mindfulness practice.

There is a download on wisdom and one for compassion. I tried the one for compassion and found it to be quite good.

If you would like to start a mindfulness practice but are unsure where to start, feel free to give me a call and we can have a chat about what you are wanting and what would support you, I would love to hear from you.

Take CareJenx