Mindfulness
Origin of Mindfulness
Mindfulness has been practiced for thousands of years and has roots in both religious and secular traditions from Hinduism, Buddhism and yoga to Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Religious and spiritual institutions popularized mindfulness in the East and particular individuals and secular institutions made mindfulness more mainstream in the West.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, who founded the Center for Mindfulness at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Oasis Institute for Mindfulness-Based Professional Education and Training, has been one of the biggest influencers of Mindfulness in the West. Studying and learning under Thich Nhat Hahn, a Vietnamese Thien Buddhist monk, peace activist and an influential figure in Western mindfulness, Kabat-Zinn combined his Eastern foundation with Western science to develop Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Other influencers in the West, such as Jack Kornfield, Sharon Salzberg, and Joseph Goldstein, who founded The Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in 1975, further paved the way for Western acceptance of mindfulness practices.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the quality or state of being fully present, maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, body sensations and surrounding environment, not overly reacting but just noticing through a gentle, nurturing lens. Life is busy for most of us, and we can easily get lost in our moment-to-moment activities and patterns. We often move through our days on autopilot, missing out on the connection with the present moment. Mindfulness can be practiced in many different ways and is so accessible that it can be practiced anywhere, anytime and tailored to your specific needs.
What are the benefits?
Mainstream Western medicine has demonstrated that practicing mindfulness can have positive effects on both physical and psychological symptoms, health, attitudes and behaviors. With practice, we are able to notice and enjoy the pleasure and joy of our daily lives. We become more fully engaged with life with a greater capacity to cope with adverse events. By focusing on the present moments in life, we can develop ways to decrease rumination and regrets in our past and worries and anxiety about the future. Western science has discovered ways to evaluate the effectiveness of practicing mindfulness. Scientists have found that mindfulness can help to improve physical health by reducing stress, lowering blood pressure, reducing chronic pain, improving sleep and alleviating gastrointestinal issues. The field of mental health has also turned to mindfulness as an important element in the treatment of issues like depression, substance use, eating disorders, relational conflict, anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
How does it work?
Mindfulness can help people accept their experiences, including the painful parts, rather than reacting to them with aversion and avoidance. A regular practice can help us gain perspective on irrational, maladaptive and self-defeating thoughts, feelings and behaviors.
Mindfulness and the brain:
Through MRI scans, there is evidence of particular areas of the brain that may either shrink or grow in response to a regular mindfulness practice. Research shows that after practicing mindfulness, the grey matter in the amygdala of our brain, the region known for its role in stress, can become smaller. The grey matter in pre-frontal cortex, the area of our brain responsible for things like planning, problem solving, and controlling emotion, can become thicker, showing increased activity in these areas of thought. The hippocampus, the area of the brain that aids with memory and learning also becomes thicker after practicing mindfulness. Evidence also shows that connections between different regions of our brain change when we are mindful. Other research suggests that mindfulness can affect the production of chemicals that change influence our mood.
How do you do it?
There are many ways to practice mindfulness. The goal of any mindfulness technique is to achieve a state of alert, focused awareness of our thoughts, feelings, emotions, body sensations and surroundings without judgment. This allows the mind to focus on the present moment.
Getting started:
One simple way to start a mindfulness practice is to simply focus on your breath – concentrating on how the inhale and exhale feels in your body. Sometimes counting the breaths helps keep the focus on the breath. Inevitably, thoughts, feelings, emotions, sensations and disruptions in our surrounding environment will arise and distract us. They key here is to simply let those things come into your awareness and then pass by. A helpful visualization technique to practice redirection of your mind is to see those disruptions as a flowing river, just watching as they pass by as you sit on the shore. We observe these things go by without judging them as good or bad, avoiding the tendency to latch on or to get caught up in thinking about a regret in the past or our to do list in the future. The practice may feel uncomfortable at first, as we’re often not used to holding focus and awareness solely in the present moment, but the key to greater peace and self-awareness is to stay with it, accepting whatever arises and being kind and forgiving toward yourself. It will become easier the more you practice, and you’ll have a greater capacity to implement mindfulness into your everyday activities, thereby, experiencing greater positive effects.
Basic mindfulness meditation
This exercise teaches basic mindfulness meditation.
Sit in a chair or cross-legged on the floor with a straight back.
Focus on your breathing, such as the sensations of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth, or your belly rising and falling as you inhale and exhale.
Once you’ve narrowed your concentration in this way, begin to widen your focus. Become aware of sounds, sensations, and your thoughts.
Embrace and consider each thought or sensation without judging it good or bad. If your mind starts to race, return your focus to your breathing. Then expand your awareness again.
Learning to stay in the present
A less formal approach to mindfulness can also help you to stay in the present and fully participate in your life. You can choose any task or moment to practice informal mindfulness, whether you are eating, showering, walking, washing dishes or connecting with a loved one. Attending to these points will help.
Start by bringing your attention to the sensations in your body.
Breathe in through your nose, allowing the air downward into your lower belly. Let your abdomen expand fully.
Now breathe out through your mouth.
Notice the sensations of each inhalation and exhalation.
Proceed with the task at hand slowly and with full deliberation.
Engage your senses fully. Notice each sight, touch, and sound so that you savor every sensation.
When you notice that your mind has wandered from the task at hand, gently bring your attention back to the sensations of the moment.
Resources:
· Positive Psychology: Harnessing the Power of Happiness, Personal Strength, and Mindfulness, (2019) a special health report published by Harvard Health Publishing.
· Selva, Joaquin, (2020, 01,09). Positive Psychology: History of Mindfulness: From East to West and Religion to Science, Positive Psychology. https://positivepsychology.com/history-of-mindfulness/
Gaiswinkler, L., Unterrainer, H.F. (2016). The relationship between yoga involvement, mindfulness and psychological well-being. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 26(1), 123-127.
Hacker, P., Davis, Jr., D.R. (2006). Dharma in Hinduism. Journal of Indian Philosophy, 34(5), 479-496.
Hatcher, B.A. (2007). Bourgeois Vedanta: The colonial roots of middle-class Hinduism. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 75(2), 298-323.
Ivtzan, I., Young, T., Martman, J., Jeffrey, A., Lomas, T., Hart, R., Eiroa-Orosa, F.J. (2016). Integrating Mindfulness into Positive Psychology: a Randomised Controlled Trial of an Online Positive Mindfulness Program. Mindfulness, 7(6), 1396-1407.
Trousselard, M., Steiler, D., Claverie, D., Canini, F. (2014). The history of Mindfulness put to the test of current scientific data: Unresolved questions. Encephale-Revue de Psychiatrie Clinique Biologique et Therapeutique, 40(6), 474-480.
Dayshun Stevens, LCSW