Mindfulness and Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation really are buzz words at the moment. But do we really know what they are all about?

Ultimately the reason for practicing mindfulness and mediation is to reduce the impact of stress on our bodies, bring clarity to your thoughts and calm a stressed mind.

But like all things health, what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another. What brings about mindfulness and calms the mind of one person will be an unending source of frustration and aggravation for another.

How do we find the right source of mindfulness for us?

Basically, its trial and error to find what works for you.

If we think in terms of our achieving our ultimate goal, lowering our stress hormone cortisol and bringing about a feeling of calmness and quiet, then finding the right practice for you is really important. We are all running around in our world, pushing ourselves to achieve in all areas of our lives ,so finding a little time in our days for self care couldn’t be more important.

Beginning a meditation practice can be a very unnerving thing.

What do you mean I have to sit with my eyes closed for 20 minutes and clear my mind of any thoughts? Have you any idea how many thoughts can race through my busy mind in 20 minutes?

With the constant pressures of work, family and life in general, finding 20 minutes to clear your mind can be a daunting task to say the least.

Let’s face it, you wouldn’t learn to sail in a hurricane, so why would you try to begin a mediation practice when you’re acutely stressed?

At times like these, taking a walk along the beach, through the forest or anywhere out in nature can have a great effect on lowering your cortisol levels and reducing the ‘stressed out’ feeling. Forest Bathing, the practice of surrounding yourself in nature has been found to lower cortisol levels comparable to a 20 minute meditation.

Another helpful tip for introducing meditation into your daily life is begin slowly! Start with a 5 minute guided relaxation using one of the many apps available or search on YouTube. These are really helpful and a great introduction to beginning your practice. I like Insight Timer, Smiling Mind and Calm.

Using deep breathing techniques can also be a great way to lower your cortisol and allow your mind a little respite. The traditional Chinese practice of Chi-gung combines gentle movement and breathing exercises to reduce stress and increase relaxation.

And a quick tip for the gym junkies out there, high intensity training will increase your cortisol levels so if you’re finding yourself acutely stressed and struggling to find your calm, then introduce some slow exercise to your routine. Pilates, Yoga and Tai Chi are all great options.

So, it's time to begin.

Find your groove, whatever that may be and remember to begin slowly and build up to a daily practice.

And don’t forget to be kind to yourself. You’ve got this!

Yours in Mindfulness,

Miranda 🙏🏼