Mindfulness meditation

Written by Karen Bruno, PT

Mindfulness is like that—it is the miracle which we can call back in a flash our dispersed mind and restore it to wholeness so that we can live each minute of life.
― Thich Nhat Hanh, The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a practice to focus your attention on your moment to moment experience and to accept the present moment without judgment. ​

This technique draws you back to your center by bringing into the present moment the fragmented aspects of your mind-those thoughts that drift into the past and/or thoughts, fears and worries about the future. With non-judgemental awareness, these thoughts are free to come and go without gripping you and further dragging you down, resulting in a more alert, attentive and relaxed state of being.

You can practice mindfulness in  variety of different ways. Here are some things upon which you can choose to focus:

• Your breath
• A word or mantra that you silently repeat.
• Sensations such as sight, touch, sounds, smells and tastes.
• Any activity,  such as walking, doing the dishes, performing daily chores.
• Noticing and naming your emotions-such as anger, grief, sadness or joy-accepting that they are part of your experience and allowing them to be present without judgement or commentary. Then, let them go.

The benefits of Mindfulness Meditation are bountiful. Mindfulness meditation is not considered a relaxation practice, however, you may have the experience of relaxation as a beneficial side effect. Please refer to the January 2018 e-newsletter for the list of benefits of meditation.

Some Basics of Mindfulness Meditation
To be done 20-30 minutes once or twice daily.

Sit in a comfortable position with your spine supported, head erect and feet flat on the floor.

1. Become aware of your inbreath and outbreath.
2. Become aware of any sensation in particular regions of your body. Naming them can help you let them go, e.g., the sensation of your shirt sleeve against your wrist, the tightness in your back, tension in the belly.  
3. Become aware of your body as a whole.
4. Become aware of hearing silence and sounds. Again-naming them is helpful, e.g., the sound of the clock, the whirl of the fan.  
5. Observe thoughts, emotions and feelings, e.g., joy, frustration, anger,  as they move in and out of the mind moment by moment-not getting involved in the content of them but observing them as thoughts and feelings. Allow  them to be present without judgement and let them move on.  
6. When you have observed that the mind has drifted, gently bring it back to attention in the present moment.

Breaking it down
If you only have a few minutes, after focusing your attention on your breath to quiet your mind, you can choose one category, such as focusing on body sensations, or thoughts or sounds. Remember to be patient, loving, kind, forgiving and gentle with yourself. Even a few minutes of practice is a step in the right direction.

Meditation begins with the non-judgmental observation of life from moment to moment. When you find that the mind is being judgmental, for example, pushing away things it doesn’t like, simply observe that this is occurring. Meditation is an effortless and choiceless awareness of the totality of life expressing itself with and around you in every and any moment. It is a state of being, not an activity. So it is not something to do, rather it is allowing yourself to just be. THIS IS NOT A TUNING OUT PROCESS. Rather it is being fully present with a larger perspective grounded in a sense of being.
― Jon Kabat-Zinn