Wellness

MEDITATION + MINDFULNESS

Meditation and mindfulness are popular wellness tools that are needed now more than ever, where stress and stress-related diseases are at an all time high. With mindfulness and meditation practice stress and anxiety can become easier to manage, as both increase our ability to relax and to maintain a more positive outlook in our lives.

The difference between meditation and mindfulness is that the latter is really just an aspect of meditation itself. Formal or transcendental meditation involves sitting for a chosen period of time, non-doing and non-striving, without judgement, relaxing into one’s inner world. Transcendental meditation is passive and often involves mantras and sound to help the mind transcend all thought and awareness of surroundings and of self, entering into a complete state of bliss.

Mindfulness meditation involves focus, usually on the in and out breath. As thoughts pass through one’s mind as they often will, the meditator allows them to pass without clinging to them nor judging them, but gently and consistently returning their awareness back to their breath instead.

Mindfulness in yoga is known as Dharana or concentration and intense focus, which then leads to Dhyana or absorption/meditation, and that will ultimately lead to Samadhi or enlightenment/bliss. When viewed in this way mindfulness and meditation go hand in hand, as one leads to the other.

Mindfulness can also be done actively. For example, mindful walking, mindful eating, and mindful listening. Mindfulness practice is to engage fully with intention and focus into the present moment.

There are several types of meditation including visualization meditation, guided meditation, chakra meditation, yoga meditation, affirmation meditation, and so on.

MINDFULNESS + BREATHING EXERCISES

Square or Box Breathing is a popular breathing exercise that is also known as tactical breathing which is employed by the military to improve performance. This method of breath work changes how you feel physically and emotionally, reducing stress and anxiety, so that you can both relax and focus better in as little as 5 minutes.

Slowly inhale to a count of 4, hold your breath to a count of 4, then slowly exhale to a count of 4, hold breath to a count of 4, and repeat. Do this for 5 minutes and see how you feel afterward.

MINDFULNESS EXERCISE

Draw or place a dot on a wall that you can easily look at from where you are sitting. For example from your sofa in your living room. You can draw the dot with a pencil, use a sticker, or draw one on a piece of blank paper and tape it to the wall. Be sure there is enough distance that you are not too close nor too far away, you should be able to see it clearly without squinting or straining your eyes.

Now simply stare at the dot for as long as you can. Yes, you are allowed to blink, but do not move your eyes away from the dot. Only look at the dot. You are basically having a staring contest with this dot on the wall or on a door. Your eyes may begin to water, if this happens it’s a good time to stop and try again later. See how long you can do it for and practice often. This simple exercise will improve your focus immensely and can be done while relaxing on your sofa or while in bed.

STOP TECHNIQUE

This exercise can be used throughout your day to help you relax and/or when feeling triggered into fight or flight or a reactionary response to something.

S - STOP what you are doing, thinking, or saying.

T - TAKE a long, deep breath. Reconnect to your breathing.

O - OBSERVE. Notice what is happening both inside and outside of you.

P - PROCEED forward. Carry on and continue with what you were doing.

Practicing this technique will help to ground you and to avoid saying or doing things that you may regret later.

GUIDED MEDITATIONS

YOGA

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