Anyone can do mindfulness practice. There are no barriers. It doesn’t matter how old you are, what your physical ability is, if you’re religious or not…
Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, through a gentle, nurturing lens. … When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we’re sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future.
Mindfulness decreases stress and psychological distress in adults and employees. It enhances mental health and functioning and increases emotion regulation and self-control.
The Basics of Mindfulness Practice
Mindfulness helps us put some space between ourselves and our reactions, breaking down our conditioned responses. Here’s how to tune into mindfulness throughout the day:
Set aside some time. You don’t need a meditation cushion or bench, or any sort of special equipment to access your mindfulness skills—but you do need to set aside some time and space.
- Observe the present moment as it is. The aim of mindfulness is not quieting the mind, or attempting to achieve a state of eternal calm. The goal is simple: we’re aiming to pay attention to the present moment, without judgement. Easier said than done, we know.
- Let your judgments roll by. When we notice judgements arise during our practice, we can make a mental note of them, and let them pass.
- Return to observing the present moment as it is. Our minds often get carried away in thought. That’s why mindfulness is the practice of returning, again and again, to the present moment.
- Be kind to your wandering mind. Don’t judge yourself for whatever thoughts crop up, just practice recognizing when your mind has wandered off, and gently bring it back.
Here are a couple of useful free resource for anyone interested in developing mindfulness –
https://www.developgoodhabits.com/mindfulness-exercises/
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=12&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjmitengMzbAhXJe8AKHQ6XC7kQFgh3MAs&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mindbodygreen.com%2F0-18420%2F5-scientific-reasons-to-practice-mindfulness-meditation.html&usg=AOvVaw0J-TWMfLkUx6g6KEF6lVH-
The activities can be fitted into everyday life, the majority do not involve meditating and some may not have an obvious connection to what is commonly seen as mindfulness practice, but it is useful list nonetheless. You will find that instructions are short and easy to follow.