Innholdsfortegnelse for WellBeing Mindfulness 101 i WellBeing Mindfulness 101

What you are is what you have been. What you will be is what you do now.Buddha Welcome to what will be a life-affirming exploration and guide into the world of mindfulness. If you are reading this, it means you are either interested in bringing mindfulness into your life or are searching for support in your own mindfulness practice. Either way, it is a wonderful thing you are doing and there is plenty here to provide you with hope, practical advice and focus. As recently as April 2021, there was research from Flinders University published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour which showed that practising mindfulness increases wellbeing for people in good health, people with physical illness, and people with mental illness. In short, mindfulness enhances quality of life for…

“Your coffee can only reveal itself to you as a reality when you go back to your Self and produce your true presence, freeing yourself from the past, the future, and from your worries.” Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese monk who has been dubbed “the father of mindfulness”. He was born in 1926, received training in Zen at the Mahayana school of Buddhism and was ordained as a monk in 1949. Nhat Hanh went to the US to study comparative religion at Princeton University, subsequently being appointed lecturer in Buddhism at Columbia University. By then he was fluent in French, Chinese, Sanskrit, Japanese and English, in addition to his native Vietnamese. In 1963, he returned to Vietnam to aid his fellow monks in their non-violent peace efforts. Nhat Hanh…

According to Buddhist principles, the monkey mind describes the tendency of the mind to be unsettled and restless. Just as the name suggests, the mind moves around with the characteristics of a monkey — the constant chatter, jumping and swinging from branch to branch. In the same way, it is said that the mind constantly jumps from thought to thought. In the Yoga Sutra, Patanjali describes this same tendency of the mind (citta) to whirl or turn (vrittis) constantly. Such a mind cannot be present as it is distracted by thoughts. The yogic practices are designed to interrupt the unconscious turning of the mind in the same way Buddhist and mindfulness practices are designed to transcend the monkey mind. Professor and mindfulness master Jon Kabat-Zinn describes mindfulness as paying attention…

On one level mindfulness sounds simple. Paying attention to the present moment without judgement can’t be too difficult, or can it? In truth, if you haven’t practised mindfulness then, like any new skill, it can be challenging. To a large degree this is because we are encouraged to be anything but mindful by modern life. Multitasking is the vogue and with so many distractions available, from social media to streamed entertainment, mindfulness is not a naturally cultivated skill these days. Just like when you seek to master any new skill, mastering mindfulness requires practice and demands learning the techniques that promote mindfulness. In this section we learn the techniques available to you to develop mindfulness skills. You might not resonate with all of them, but then again maybe you will…

Simply by using visualisation, you are able to ignite a positive response in your brain, increase clarity and mitigate stress. The imagination is one of the brain’s most creative and resourceful mechanisms. In visualisation meditation, you draw on this imaginative ability by conjuring an image in your mind’s eye through visualising something specific, such as an event, goal or person. When you focus on this image you have created and hold it in your thoughts during meditation, you are able to direct your relaxed mind towards specific outcomes you wish to manifest. See it to believe it Initially, you may think it is counterintuitive to add visualisation to your meditation practice. Isn’t meditation about letting go of thoughts rather than directing our attention to something or someone? Incorporating visualisation is…

Managing your own emotional responses is the key to teaching your kids how to manage theirs. Mindful parenting is, simply put, being in the moment with your kids. In focusing your attention on them and what’s happening moment to moment, you are more aware, kind and understanding in your interactions with them. As you bring conscious attention to what is happening, you respond thoughtfully, instead of getting hijacked by your emotions and reacting. You accept whatever is going on, rather than wanting it to be different, trying to change it or ignoring it. It is most definitely not about perfection. As one George Mason University study said, “Mindful parenting may be more about attunement or emotional congruency in the interaction — not just parents smiling a lot.” Why parent mindfully?…

Practising mindfulness during sport allows you to first tune into your body and the environment, and then consciously direct your attention to what will help you perform optimally. The application of mindfulness to sport offers athletes a way to enhance their current-moment awareness — a critical component of peak sporting performance — in order to enter a state of “flow”. The flow state is one where the athlete experiences complete attentiveness to the task at hand and minimises external distractions, thoughts and worries in order to be fully present in their sport. “Just like driving a car while distracted, playing sport when you’re consumed with something else can open you up to a number of undesirable outcomes,” explains holistic trainer Leah Simmons. “The more mindful you can be while moving…

Thich Nhat Hanh says that you need to approach anger differently when it arises in relationships. He says that if your house was on fire, the first thing you would do is go put the fire out, not run after the arsonist. “Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate thislove, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.” —Jon Kabat-Zinn Mindful arguing is not about staying silent about problems or hiding emotions. It is about communicating in a way that is calm, kind and compassionate. It is taking a non-judgemental, detached view in the present moment, listening, and communicating clearly. At the heart of mindfulness is presence. Being present is essential to listening. Openly hearing someone, free from judgement,…

[Mindful walking] is a great alternative if you find seated meditation inaccessible as it still trains the mind in awareness. “When you walk, arrive with every step. That is walking meditation. There’s nothing else to it.”—Thich Nhat Hanh Mindful walking is doing the simple act of walking while being aware of each step and your breath. It can be practised anywhere, anytime. Walking down the street, in the car park, wherever. Mindful walking gives the mind a break from the usual chatter. You do this by arriving in the present moment using the tangible tools of the body, breath, surroundings and the senses. It is a great alternative if you find seated meditation inaccessible as it still trains the mind in awareness. It is a simple, powerful way to reduce…

Mindfulness is something that you do within your own space and it is an intensely personal thing. Yet it is more than that. When you are mindful, you change the world around you and you impact the people around you. The people and things that you influence affect others and the ripple effects of mindfulness spread like a purposeful wave, carefully etching its way across an evening pond. There are many flow-on effects from mindfulness, but in this section we consider only four major ones: treatments for anxiety and depression, increases in altruism, enhanced awareness of climate change, and boosted creativity. Not only do all these things await you personally as a result of practising mindfulness, but be inspired by the fact that you will be enhancing the world around…

I am aware of my passions and my interests. They inspire me and stimulate me. I am grateful for… (If at start of day) What am I looking forward to today? (If at end of day) What positive things happened today? Three beautiful things that I have heard in the last day were… I think of the people who are important to me. I reflect on how I feel when I am with them. With this in mind, I am grateful for… What is the biggest risk I have ever taken? What does risk mean to me? Close your eyes for two minutes. Now write about everything that you heard in that time. I reflect on all the help that I receive. I am grateful for……

The first word of Patanjali’s yoga sutra is “Atha”, or now. It’s an invitation to do what all the mindfulness practices are asking us to do — to wake up and come into the present moment. Mindfulness is practised and understood in many ways. One of the earliest traditions that taught mindfulness was yoga. Origins of yoga Yoga originated in India more than 4000 years ago. The first time we saw the teachings compiled was in the Vedas — vast, sacred texts. The most recent Vedas formed the Upanishads, of which authorship is disputed, but it’s believed they were written by Brahmins (Vedic priests) and rishis (great sages). Between the second and fifth centuries BCE, the Mahabharata, compiled by Vyasa (a legendary sage), appears, containing within it the Bhagavad Gita,…

If you are reading this publication, then you have made a decision that you want to bring mindfulness into your life. In later sections we will go through the techniques that allow you to do this, then explore specific examples in daily life of what mindfulness means in those moments and how to achieve it. Before we get to that, however, it is important to acknowledge that it can be a bit scary contemplating making any change in your life and becoming more mindful is no different. That is why, in this section, we are getting you ready for mindfulness by looking squarely at what it will be like. You will share experiences from people who have already embarked on the mindful path, you will learn what the “monkey mind”…

The mindful way of being is to meet all that you experience completely, without going into story around it. Mindfulness is living completely in the present moment, as it is. It is accepting everything that is happening in the here and now, without story or judgement, and then taking action from that place. It is important to say that mindfulness is not some elusive state you need to get to, some place you will arrive at, be peaceful in and live happily ever after in. It is not about improving yourself. You are perfect as you are. There is no better “you” to become. In fact, mindfulness will get you noticing how much you default to the experience of “me and my”, and instead invite you to stay curious about…

The idea of the exercise is to use all your senses to really explore and get to know an everyday thing. If you are daunted by the whole prospect of mindfulness, the “raisin exercise” is a mindfulness technique that is simplicity itself. All you need is a few minutes where you will not be distracted and a raisin. It is called the raisin exercise because that is how Jon Kabat-Zinn designed it, but you could use any familiar object. However, this exercise does involve chewing the object, so opt for a food rather than, say, a desk lamp. The basic idea of the exercise is to use all of your senses to really explore and get to know an everyday thing. Your mindset should be as if you are an…

Art therapy incorporates creative methods of expression through the visual arts. Colouring meditation is a form of art therapy that relaxes the brain and brings you into the moment. Playing with colour takes you to places where you don’t need to think. Colouring is a technique for cultivating mindfulness that is not only effective, but creative and enjoyable too. Clinical psychologist Dr Scott Bea says that during the process of colouring, “We are not disturbed by our own thoughts and appraisals. The difficulties of life evaporate from our awareness and both our bodies and our brains may find this rewarding.” In studies, colours have been shown to change alpha brainwaves. When colour is processed from the eye to the brain, hormones are released that can affect emotions, mind clarity and…

Being mindful when you study is a core component of training your brain to completely engage with the task at hand, disengage from distractions and deepen your attention span. Being a student goes hand in hand with a lot of work and responsibilities, especially when it comes to studying. Whether you are preparing for an exam or writing an essay, minimising stress and increasing focus are essential in order to achieve your education goals and enjoy the learning process. Bringing mindfulness to your studies creates a strong foundation for experiencing both success and pleasure as you learn. Train your brain Research shows that practising mindfulness can increase both focus and concentration. Being mindful when you study is a core component of training your brain to be able to completely engage…

By observing your grief as it is, in the present moment, you neither push it away nor obsess over it. You stay non-judgemental no matter what feelings arise, fostering self-compassion. Grief is a natural part of the human existence. We all grieve in very different ways, for different periods of time. It has been proven that avoiding the reality and pain of loss is not beneficial for you long-term, and it is important to feel all emotions that arise in the grieving process. Mindfulness in grief is not about reducing your pain or getting over your loss. Rather, it is about facing it with presence and remembering that pain is impermanent. By observing your grief as it is, in the present moment, you neither push it away nor obsess over…

A study from the University of Oxford published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry showed that people with depression who were treated with MBCT were 31 per cent less likely to relapse than those not treated. The world is a challenging place these days. Yes, a global pandemic has been a contributing factor, but it goes beyond that. Conventional media and social media align with the same message bombardment, encouraging you to be more, be the best and be fulfilled. It is all a far cry from encouraging you to just be, and the constant aspiration to changing, homogenised and unrealistic goals is exhausting. Slot this alongside the paradoxical dislocation from community that smart devices and social media provide and it is no wonder mental health is under challenge. It is…

Creativity [is] the tendency to generate or recognise ideas, alternatives or possibilities. Studies by Robert Franken from California State University have defined creativity as the tendency to generate or recognise ideas, alternatives, or possibilities that may be useful in solving problems, communicating with others, and entertaining ourselves and others. The reasons why people want to be creative are mixed. For example, the need for novel, varied and complex stimulation is just one yearning that drives creativity. Then there is the need to communicate ideas and values or the need to solve problems. In order to be creative, you need to be able to view things in new ways or from new perspectives, generate new possibilities or alternatives. You need to show qualities such as flexibility, tolerance of ambiguity or unpredictability,…

newfangleddrongo … It wasn’t until COVID-19 when I reconnected with nature and was able to manage my mental health issues through mindfulness, accompanied by the Aussie bush. Exploring the minutiae was the most potent way I have ever found to be completely and totally mindful (without having to try very hard). newfangleddrongo After struggling with severe anxiety and depression from a young age, I trained as a yoga teacher in my early 20s to learn about mindfulness and meditation and tackle my mental health issues. I immersed myself in a life that revolved around mindfulness; I practised asana and pranayama daily, attended weekly therapy and sound healing, and taught yoga and mindfulness to others full-time. And it helped, a bit. But it wasn’t until COVID-19 when I reconnected with nature…

jolastro Mindfulness for me is the attitude and positivity I bring to everything I do. I believe it is a space to learn wherever I am in my life. It is not about changing to fit in a “mould” but helping me to connect to who I really am and to learn to be in the moment. namaste.naomi Yoga was the gateway to my mindfulness journey. After a tough year at university, I changed paths and became a yoga teacher. Little did I know that this was only the beginning of my journey. I booked into a meditation workshop to see what all the hype was about. Personally, I’d always thought meditation wasn’t for me, but after this one workshop I took it all back. And after that my mindfulness…

Sound meditation is a form of conscious healing that has the ability to treat the whole being. Healing with sound is believed to date back to the ancient Greeks, who used music as a way to treat imbalances in mental wellbeing. In essence, sound meditation is a form of focused awareness meditation where you immerse yourself in auditory experience. Sound has profound healing properties and engaging with it is an avenue to directly experiencing the moment and building your mindfulness skills. Sound baths Sound baths have developed as a popular form of sound meditation. This literally involves “bathing” in sound created by using Tibetan singing bowls, crystal bowls and bells, sometimes along with voice and other instruments. The listener lies down with their eyes closed and is immersed in a…

It is with mindfulness as it is with any skill; theory is one thing, practising helps, but what really matters is when the rubber hits the road in the real world. Up to this point you have understood what mindfulness is, then you learned techniques for developing mindfulness. Now is the time to turn to practicalities. The world we live in is not a mindful place, so you must bring your mindfulness to situations that are not inherently mindful. It is not all mountain tops and meditation classes out there. So in this section we take a practical look at the many situations life will throw at you and offer a step-by-step guide in each case as to how mindfulness will help, what the challenges will be, and how to…

When done mindfully, you will find you actually appreciate the process of housework and revel in the reward of having accomplished the task, with the bonus of having a beautifully clean and decluttered space at the end. Does the thought of scrubbing, mopping and organising your home ignite a pause of apprehension or dread in you? Housework has arguably developed an unfairly proclaimed bad name in our society, labelled by many as a chore. What if you were to flip this cleaning paradigm on its head, instead viewing it as a chance to slow down and approach your life with purpose and integrity? With careful application, housework can certainly become an integral part of mindfulness. The radical effect of mindful cleaning According to the author of Sweeping Changes, Gary Thorp,…

When you consider the consequences of not being mindful (think: making mistakes, chronic stress, and poor communication and understanding of peers), consciously incorporating mindfulness strategies and techniques into your work day becomes non-negotiable. Mindfulness offers a way to reprogram the brain to think and experience situations in a healthier, more present, clearer and calmer way. Injecting a good dose of mindfulness into your work life brings myriad benefits, such as reduced stress, boosted productivity, increased creativity, greater job satisfaction and better relationships with colleagues. Of course, being asked to essentially slow down, remain present and not engage when your brain tries to worry about things like future deadlines, all while dealing with the often-constant onslaught of a busy work day — calls, meetings, presentations, emails, tasks and so on —…

Mindful sex is the practice of being present and non-judgemental of both yourself and your partner. Mindful sex is the practice of being present and non-judgemental of both yourself and your partner. It is when you are completely immersed in all of the physical sensations of your body that arise, focus on your senses, and minimise any potential distractions and let distracting thoughts go. Through the practice you can experience more pleasure and connection. As we have discussed elsewhere, mindfulness may be defined as “present-moment non-judgemental awareness” and when it comes to sex, each of those three components are necessary for healthy sexual function. Mindful sex and its challenges Sexuality is a part of who we are, yet many of us feel disconnected during sex to some degree. Researchers believe…

Since addictions are propelled by the past (memory) and future (perceived reward), grounding yourself into the present moment can facilitate healing, making it easier to respond differently the next time that niggling voice of addiction whispers in your ear, until eventually it becomes inaudible. Addictions are incredibly complex and difficult to treat or overcome, as the addicted brain becomes very clever at chasing the “reward” it craves, with a lack of concern over consequences. Addicts typically experience a decline in appreciation of life outside their addiction and lower self-worth. Mindfulness can be a powerful tool in managing and overcoming addictions because it has the ability to help you slow down, deepen self-awareness, appreciate the beauty of the present moment and be a catalyst for healing. A slower pace Whether the…

In the techniques section, two of the techniques you encountered to foster mindfulness were colouring and journalling. To get you started on your mindfulness practice, we are including some delightful colouring pages for you to engage with and some journal pages, each with an inspirational source to start you on your mindful journalling experience for that day. These pages are just a beginning, but you can use them as a guide for creating other mindful moments. Before you start colouring or writing, go back to the techniques section and re-read the relevant chapters to guide you in your mindful approach.…