If you are reading this and doing nothing else at this point of time, then you are experiencing mindfulness. However if you are doing several things at once, you need to introduce mindfulness in your life and see how it changes for the better. Mindfulness is the skill of being present in every moment of life. It can help one become more aware and accept life better without being distracted by fear or getting overwhelmed with anxiety.
Meditation, as we all know, is an ancient practice which guides us to focus and understand our own mind. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a practitioner of meditation and creator of mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques, has described mindfulness meditation beautifully in these lines – ‘Wherever you go, there you are.’
Mindfulness is to meditation as meditation is to mindfulness. Both combined has the power to structure your mind, increase focus, reduce stress and anxiety, slow down aging, uplift mood, increase pain bearing capacity and enhance self-awareness and self-control.
Soulveda has studied many aspects of mindfulness meditation and found that meditative minds are the most productive. So here is a beginner’s guide to achieving a sense of tranquillity and peace through mindfulness meditation.
Few minutes a day can make a big difference
The whole idea behind mindfulness meditation is to relax your body and mind. To achieve it, allocate a fixed time of the day for mindfulness mediation, preferably early in the morning. If this is difficult, just take 5 to 10 minutes out of your schedule at any point in the day. But ensure you can pay full attention at that time. Practicing little by little everyday will reap you benefits, putting you firmly on the path to salvation.
While most people might find taking time out of their busy schedules difficult, one has to convince oneself that a few minutes a day will make a big difference to the quality of life they wish to enjoy.
What to do when the mind wanders
Even when you are engaged in mindfulness meditation, your mind will still wander. It is not a poor reflection on your mental ability to focus. It is inevitable, that your mind will aimlessly go around or walk away from your object of concentration. Your attention may move to things around you, daydreaming about the past or future, judging yourself or simply getting lost in thought. Just know that it is the most natural activity of the mind.
Do not force your attention or pull back from distraction immediately. Instead, take a moment and pause. In fact, mindfulness meditation is all about taking a moment to come back to the present. Even if the mind continues to wander, continue developing your mindfulness meditation skills repeatedly.
Follow guided meditations
‘Close your eyes and imagine sitting by the river’ may sound familiar to you. A lot of calming apps and experts tell you to do this. This is because imagination is a powerful tool for taking your mind away from distraction, helping you move towards relaxation.
Also available are recorded audio notes and messages on guided meditation that bring your consciousness to a state of calmness. Guided meditations are helpful in many ways; they can be an excellent introduction to mindfulness meditation as you can select the time period of your choice. Further, the instructions of an external guide helps you to come back in the present moment anytime you need. Guided mindfulness meditation packages comes with the inherent advantage of being downloadable, being available at all hours and at your utmost convenience.
Follow your breath
Your breath is the single source of life energy. In the normal course of our lives, we tend to forget or do not realize the importance of breathing. However, meditative minds know the enormous impact a proper inhale, hold, exhale and hold cycle of breathing can have on our mind. Mindfulness in breathing is a systematic procedure of bringing your focus back on the present moment.
To begin with, gentle awareness of your breath will be enough. A hushing sound of your breath will make you feel that being alive is a wonderful thought, enough to bring you back from the brink of an emotional upheaval. With proper practice, following your breath in mindfulness meditation can help you exhale negative thoughts and inhale in optimism. This can be extremely helpful in improving your attention span, creative ability and a healthy outlook towards life in general.
Mindfulness meditation by following breath is not just calming and energising, it is actually the ‘Rhythm Divine’. So listen to it carefully.
The body scan
Your body is the harbinger of life. Keep your hand on your heart and find out how much attention you give to your body. Barring a few, most will realize that besides looking good, no one has paid any real attention to the body and its constituents. Body scan is one such technique of mindfulness meditation, which turns your attention to each and every body part and organ instead of the breath.
To elaborate, mindfulness meditation with body scan brings in a structure to focus on different senses and areas of the body. Start with the head, then slowly and deliberately bring your attention to the skin, forehead, eyes, nose, ears, chin and then downwards to the heart, lungs and abdomen, waist, knees and toes. It might seem difficult in the early stages but you will steadily experience all sensations flowing in your mind, immersing you in pure feelings. Do not react, just acknowledge the feelings and re-establish your connection with life and the self.
Just remember that for all forms of mindfulness meditation, you are advised to sit with a straight spine or lie on you back with arms and legs in relaxed position for best results. Gautam Buddha, whose calmness and teachings have inspired millions of people, outlined mindfulness meditation with the words, ‘Be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life.’