What is mindfulness & how does it work?
waking up to each precious moment of our lives
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a way for us to wake up to the present moment, to stop living in our heads on autopilot, and rediscover the simple joy and wonder of being alive.
Mindfulness practice involves training our naturally wayward 'puppy' minds to consistently come back and attend to what is happening in this moment.
Most of us may remember a time as children when our attention was fully captivated by something. Perhaps watching raindrops race down a window pane, examining the feel and smells of the earth in the garden or savouring the taste of an ice cream.
In these 'moments of being' we are naturally concentrated on the experience we are having in the present moment. Our mind is not pulled away by the habit of continuous thinking, which tends to accumulate in adulthood, that distracts and numbs us to what is happening right now.
Learning to live more mindfully involves using our senses as an anchor to bring us back to our direct moment to moment experience. By building this practice into all of the moments of our lives (and not just on a meditation cushion) we can cultivate our innate capability to calm the mind, reduce our stress and increace our appreciation and enjoyment of life.
How does it work?
Mindfulness is not about forcing the mind to think positively, or trying to turn off thinking all together (because that's impossible anyway), but instead it involves learning to non-judgementally observe its patterns whilst we stay anchored in the present moment.
Over time mindfulness practice enables us to recognise familiar thought patterns, emotions and urges that come up. In this way we get to know ourselves more deeply and start to see the habits of mind that feed our stress, anxiety or low mood.
With understanding and compassion, as mindful awareness grows, we naturally learn to let go of old reactive habits and make space for new ways of being that strengthen our sense of agency and wellbeing.
What difference can mindfulness make?
Despite the increasing scientific research and evidence into the positive effects of mindfulness it's important to understand it is not a panacea or a quick fix solution.
Mindfulness works best when it's practiced daily as an intentional way of living life rather than something you 'do'. This means it's potential positive results are based more on our intention and commitment to becoming increasingly aware and present each day and less about the duration of time spent formally meditating.
With this in mind several studies have attributed the following benefits to its practice:
Reduces stress & anxiety
Calms the fight or flight impulse and can lower cortisol and blood pressure
Improves mood and sense of wellbeing
Gradually cultivates greater appreciation and gratitude in life
Imroves focus and concentration
Trains the mind not to be hooked by distractions and instead to remain steady
Strengthens relationships
Active listening, presence & reduced emotional reactivity feeds deeper connections
Relieves chronic pain
Changes internal perceptions and how we relate to pain over time
Enhances self awareness & self compassion
Fosters greater understanding and kindness towards our in-built habits & tendencies
Improves physical health
Supports a healthy immune system and fosters better sleep quality
Increases emotional resilience
Builds our capacity to let go and relate to thoughts and emotions differently
Increased cortical thickness in brain areas related to emotion regulation, self awareness and the hippocampus which is known to be important for memory and learning
Reduced grey-matter density in the amygdala which is known as the 'emotional seat' of the brain and known to play an important role in anxiety and stress
Strengthened functional connectivity in the Executive Control Network of the brain involved in attention and emotion regulation
What happens in the brain?
Neuroscience and brain imaging studies can now provide good evidence that mindfulness meditation can profoundly alter the structure and function of the brain to improve the quality of both thoughts and feelings.
The self reported positive effects of mindfulness (outlined above) can be linked to findings in neuroscientific research that document the changes in brain structure for meditators and therefore point toward mechanisms for its transformative potential.
REF: Hölzel, B. K., Carmody, J., Vangel, M., Congleton, C., Yerramsetti, S. M., Gard, T., & Lazar, S. W. (2011). Mindfulness practice leads to increases in regional brain gray matter density. Psychiatry research, 191(1), 36–43.
Q&A
Your mindfulness questions answered....
'I can’t stop thinking so how will I be able to meditate?'
Mindful meditation does not require you to clear your mind of thoughts. In fact it uses the mind’s activity as part of the training to be present. Instead of trying to suppress thinking mindfulness practice uses it as a way to notice when the mind has wandered and to remind us to re-focus our attention back where we intended it to be.
'Will mindfulness make me slower and less productive?'
The short answer is no. In fact the improvements in focus and attention that many people experience when they regularly practice mindfulness can often lead to increased productivity.
'I don’t have much spare time so can I still learn to be mindful?'
Research shows that it is more important to consistently practice mindful meditation than it is to try and sit still for hours on end. However, when you first learn to meditate it is important to carve out a decent chunk of time in your day to properly establish the practice. Noone ever finds the time to meditate, they make the time. This commitment is a key part of the process. As a guide 10 to 20 minutes a day is a good place to start.
'Will mindfulness get rid of my anxiety/depression?'
Outcomes can never (and should never) be guaranteed. Whilst many scientific studies have now been published linking mindfulness practice to reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression in clinical populations it is important to recognise the vast array of unique personal factors that can influence an individual’s experience of any training. Therefore it is very important to discuss your situation and expectations with the trainer before signing up to a particular programme.
'Do I need to be bendy enough to sit cross legged!?'
Nope! No need to be flexible! Mindful meditation can be done sitting in a chair, lying down or even walking. In all of our sessions participants will always be invited to choose how they would like to practice in a way that suits their individual needs and physiology.
'Can I learn mindfulness without being Buddhist?'
Yes! Mindfulness is a non-religious training open to people from all faiths (including none at all). Whilst it is true that modern mindfulness has its roots in ancient Buddhist philosophy, and this is often referenced in the teaching, the techniques do not involve belief change and are instead simple, practical ways of being in the world that anyone can practice regardless of faith.
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If you still have any other questions you'd like to ask I'd love to hear from you.