How do you practice mindfulness?

There are two main ways of practicing mindfulness

The first is ‘formal’ practice, otherwise known as mindfulness meditation. This means sitting in a chair doing nothing other than paying attention in a mindful way, whether that’s for 40 minutes or doing a mini meditation for one minute. The second way to practice mindfulness is ‘informal’ practice. This means being mindful in our day-to-day life while we’re doing things, for example, paying attention when in class, while driving or washing the dishes.

Meditation is a traditional pathway

Mindful meditation can be practiced in a variety of ways such as moving attention through various parts of the body (body scan) or concentrating on the breathing. In either case, you’re using the sense of touch while observing (but not reacting to) any thoughts or feelings that come up. Simply practice noticing experiences, thoughts and emotions with a sense of curiosity rather than judgment and, if the attention wanders to the past or the future, keep gently bringing the attention back to the body or breathing.

Here’s how to give breath meditation a try:

Let yourself be free of any expectations about how the meditation should go
Adopt a relaxed but upright sitting posture with the eyes closed
When settled, using the sense of touch, focus the awareness on the breath
Observe and acknowledge what’s being experienced in that moment, without trying to change thoughts or feelings or to solve any problems that arise
Focus as you breathe at the point where the air enters and leaves the body
If strong thoughts or feelings arise, practice making space for them without resisting or fighting them, all the while gently refocusing the attention back on the breath
After the time you gave to practice, gently open your eyes, reconnect with the environment, and then gently move onto whatever needs your attention.

You may want to start with five or 10 minutes of meditation once or twice a day and then build it up as you become more comfortable with the practice.

It’s not always easy, but keep going

You’ll find your thoughts wandering and that’s completely normal. There’s no need to berate yourself when the mind wanders – just gently bring it back to the breathing each time. It’s the very practice of repeatedly bringing your attention back to your breath, and learning to be accepting and self-compassionate, that creates a mindful state.

You can practice mindfulness in nearly everything you do.

You can take a mindful approach to everyday activities, no matter how mundane or simple they might be. The so-called informal practice of mindfulness is easy to build into your day. Next time you have a snack, take your time and focus on the feel, smell, taste and sensation of chewing. You can bring your full awareness to the task of brushing your teeth or washing the dishes.

The beauty of mindfulness is that you can do it anywhere, anytime, with no special equipment required.

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