Living in the Moment: Mindfulness Meditation

Feelings of stress and anxiety creeping up on you?  Breathe, don’t panic, and try one of my favourite stress reduction techniques- Mindfulness meditation.  Mindfulness is a tool that teaches us how to be in the moment by increasing self-awareness of our thoughts.  It has been confirmed by psychologists that this method actually works...well, at least it’s calmed me down in stressful situations!  

Why does it work?  Managing our thoughts!

The areas in our brain that control our emotions (limbic and amygdala) start to relax when we start taking control of our own thoughts.  Basically, when we are able to turn negative thoughts into positive thoughts, it alters our emotions and we are able to actually feel happier. 

  

Being in the present: The 7 attitudes of mindfulness in a nutshell (Jon Kabat-Zinn- Founding director of the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine)

1    

    Non-Judging: Step back from your judgements and be an impartial witness to your experiences.  It is human nature to quickly categorize situations as negative or positive, good or bad.  View your experiences from an objective perspective.

     Non-Striving:  The goal is to allow the present to be as it is without trying to fix or change it.  Just be yourself.

 

     Beginners mind: I like to explain this one with the annoying co-worker example.  The only way to cope with this person who always drives you nuts is to act like you have never met them before…free yourself from past experiences and expectations.  This works in so many situations!  Let go of the past, view everything like it’s your first time, and you will be fully in the present.

     Letting go:  We tend to want to prolong positive experiences and thoughts, and get rid of the unpleasant events and ideas.  The attitude of letting go means giving up attention to this struggle of trying to hold on or let go.  Stop trying to control the situation and allow things to be just as they are.

     Acceptance: This is about being open to experience things just as they are.  Tell yourself, “It is what it is”.  Acknowledge it, welcome it, and accept it.

 

     Patience:  This is the most challenging one for me! Patience consists of not letting your worries or desire for a certain outcome to take over the moment.  Don’t rush through experiences, give them space and time, and let them unfold on their own.

     Trust:  I love this one.  This is all about becoming intuitive and trusting your gut instincts.  Learn how to have faith and confidence in your own feelings.  Don’t get caught up in others opinions, and learn to fully become who YOU are. 

I am not one to find a quiet space on top of a mountain and sit alone with my thoughts. The way I go about mindfulness is remembering these key points when I start to feel anxious and repeat them over to myself (in my head, of course.)  Live in the present!
-Casie