Mindfulness Meditation
by. Mederi Center
Registration open for Spring Wellness Weekend, March 19-20, 2022,
which includes 6 virtual workshops in wellness and art practices.
People have been meditating for thousands of years, often as part of a spiritual practice. In more recent years, mindfulness has made its way into the mainstream as a way of managing stress and improving overall well-being. Research finds that meditation practices like mindfulness change our brain and biology in positive ways.
In the same way that exercise helps us train our bodies, meditation helps us train our minds, and specifically, our attention. Regular meditation practice supports a mental state of calm concentration and cultivates positive emotions. Mindfulness is one of the most popular meditation techniques, consisting of two primary elements: attention and acceptance.
Attention: In mindfulness meditation, we tune into our experience to focus on what's happening in the present moment. This involves directing our awareness to the breath, our thoughts, the physical sensations in our bodies and the feelings we are experiencing.
Acceptance: The practice of mindfulness also involves observing those feelings and sensations without judgment. Instead of responding or reacting to those thoughts or feelings, we aim to note them and let them go.
The Basics of Mindfulness: A Simple How-To
How does tuning into our thoughts and feelings lead to so many positive outcomes for our mental and physical health? Researchers believe the benefits of mindfulness are related to its ability to dial down the body's response to stress. Chronic stress can impair the body's immune system and make many other health problems worse. By lowering the stress response, mindfulness may have downstream effects throughout the body.
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 judgment. Easier said than done, so be gentle on yourself as you practice.
Let your judgments roll by. When we notice judgments 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 will often drift 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.
It can take a little while for mindfulness meditation to feel natural and to become a part of your regular routine. But like any other skill we try to master, the more we practice, the more we build our capacity. With practice, you may discover a powerful tool for relieving stress and improving well-being. The work is to just keep doing it and to trust that positive results will accrue in time!
May mindfulness help you feel calmer and ease throughout this holiday season!
Mindfulness & Immune Health
A lot of credible research has been published that validates how mindfulness meditation can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and even help with reducing pain and fatigue. With so much focus these days on immune health, you might appreciate how studies have also found preliminary evidence that mindfulness might boost the immune system and help people recover more quickly from cold or flu.
Click this link to read the study: Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Click this link to read another study: Meditation or Exercise for Preventing Acute Respiratory Infection: A Randomized Controlled Trial
