Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a state of being, characterized by accepting and acknowledging the present moment, without getting caught up in mental or emotional reactions.
The mindfulness session will introduce you to the underlying ideas and principles of the Mindfulness – Stress Reduction Program MSRP, which aims at fostering a mindful way of living, counteracting stress, and supporting well-being. The client will be encouraged to reflect on mindfulness and mindlessness in daily life and will participate in practical exercises. The aim of these sessions is to spark an interest in the positive and mindful way of living and to enhance wellbeing and mental-physical health.
Mindfulness is not something apart from our self or our life. It is the way we perceive the world, the way we live, walk, communicate, work, or the way we perceive. It is never away from us. It is right within this very experience, of each and every moment. In this process, we bring all of life’s possibilities, its beauty, joy, and its strength back to ourselves.
Being fully in the moment brings about a truly enriching and liberating experience, which is in fact accessible to us, twenty-four hours a day. All we need to learn is to consciously recognize habitual patterns of our mind, which constantly drive us away from such experiences. This perpetually present invitation to wake up to ourselves and to life is the challenge and the gift of Mindfulness.
Mindfulness In Relationship
Giving your fullest attention to the other person embodies mindfulness. Mindfulness comes from the Sanskrit words for “attend” and “stay.” Simply put, a mindful relationship is one where you pay attention to the other person, staying or being present to their here and now without judgment.
In 2004 University of North Carolina study of “relatively happy, non-distressed couples” proved that couples noticed improvements to their “relationship happiness.” By practicing Mindfulness. Moreover, they experienced healthier levels of “relationship stress, stress coping efficacy and overall stress.” Mindfulness is a valuable tool in facing the daily challenges of staying close to our partners. It teaches us to be more centered and harmonious with ourselves, so we can communicate instead of arguing. When we are overreacting to every word our partner says, we fail to really hear them. What are they experiencing? What are they really saying to us or asking of us? Mindfulness isn’t about denying our emotions. It’s simply about learning how to stay aware in any given situation. We can see our feelings and thoughts like a passing train roaring through the station, but we alone choose if we want to get on board.
Mindless relationships are often perceived through our own mental projections, expectations, and fears. To be mindful in our relationships means to be free of misperceptions and personal projections on our partners. As mindfulness expert, Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn notes, „mindfulness is about paying attention to the present moment on purpose and without judgment“. If we stay in the moment with our partners, we can take each moment as it comes. We can cultivate empathy and insight within ourselves and share our compassion with those we love.
Mindfulness And Health
Many clinical studies about the effects of Mindfulness on psychological and physical health have been done there.
New research suggests that mindfulness meditation has benefits in stress reduction, which is the main cause of chronic disease. Mindfulness improves immune function, reduced blood pressure, increases gray matter in the Brain, and enhanced cognitive function. Mindfulness even proved to be stronger than drugs for pain relief.
Author John Durocher, Ph.D., assistant professor of biological science at Michigan Technological University, said: “The results suggest that a single mindfulness meditation session may help to reduce cardiovascular risk in those with moderate anxiety.”
References: Berkley, Positive psychology
Mindfulness at work
The US Marines have a Mindfit program which had some very positive findings around working memory under stress, as well as physical and mental resilience. Cutting-edge companies such as Apple and Google offer mindfulness at work training for employees. In the workplace, individuals have reported that it has helped them to build teamwork, enhance creativity & communication, and resolve conflict.
Mindfulness And Sexuality
Journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy, published a psychoeducational program for women with sexual arousal disorder subsequent to gynecologic cancer and has included a component of mindfulness training in the intervention. Their findings suggest that mindfulness may have a positive effect on treatments of sexual concerns.
References: Tandfonline
What Can You Expect From Mindfulness Session?
The standard MBSR/CT (Mindfulness-based stress reduction/cognitive therapy program) lasts for eight weeks and each session is usually about 2 – 3 hours long. However, all can be adjusted to a personal needs of a client.
The session starts with an introduction to Mindfulness meditation, which follows by 15 minutes of sitting meditation, in the classic Vipassana (insight) style. Most people sit upright, but for some, the body requires lying down or leaning. By assuming a comfortable position of our body, we invite stillness not only of our body but also of our mind. In that time we listen to the language of the body – sensations, emotions, energy, breath, sound, feelings and keep noticing when the wandering mind goes off into thoughts. These moments are a critical part of the practice. To notice where the mind goes, to observe and allow, and then to choose to let go and turn the attention back to the body, again and again. Gradually this becomes easier.
After the meditation practice, we keep space for a consultation and then introduce the client to various, relaxation and yoga techniques. A client will have the opportunity to explore perception, self-awareness, mindful communication, understanding stress and ways of responding to difficult/stressful situations, and to understand what Mindfulness is and how it can be applied to their everyday life.
Why Did I Choose Mindfulness?
Being a professional psychotherapist and healer, I’ve recognized that Mindfulness is one of the most effective means, to bring about full awareness into our life, and to correctly identify, anything that needs to be healed.
What Can You Learn From Mindfulness?
How to meditate
How to be in harmony with myself
How to be more aware in everyday life
How to cope with stress
How to bring awareness to our body
How to improve sleeping disorders
How to deal with emotional turmoil
How to reduce pain
How to be more effective at work
How to communicate mindfully
How to improve health and well-being
By Caroline
Categorised in: Body-Mind Connection