by Mairead O’Keeffe
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the opposite to automatic pilot. We are all familiar with auto pilot – that is performing tasks without having to think about them too much- so we have the ability to do things without being really aware of what we are doing.
The definition of Mindfulness that I like to use is:
Paying attention
On purpose
In the present moment
Non-judgementally
In mindfulness practise we pay attention in each moment to our direct experience by bringing our attention to our senses- touch, taste, sight, hearing, and smell as well as awareness of the breath. We do this with a non-judgemental attitude, we are simply observing our experience as it happens without liking/disliking or thinking about it.
Formal and Informal Practice
We practise Mindfulness in 2 ways, -formally in the body scan where we are bringing our attention to different parts of the body, in sitting meditation where we bring our attention to the breath, sensations, sound and thoughts and emotions, and in mindful movement where we are present to the sensations of moving the body in different ways.
We also practise mindfulness informally as we go about our daily lives e.g. as we brush our teeth we focus our attention on the sensations, sounds, tastes of this , or when we go for a walk we bring our attention to the sights and sounds around us, to the sensation of our feet touching the ground etc...
Why is it useful?
Practising mindfulness has been shown to have many benefits – reducing blood pressure, improving sleep, increasing a sense of wellbeing, increasing the speed of healing in the body, even changing the wiring of the brain. It is also useful as an early warning signal for stress.
Mindfulness and Stress Reduction
A lot of our stress starts in the mind – we have 60,000 thoughts a day and 90% of these are repeated patterns of thinking with 80% being of a negative nature. This is because our strongest need is the need to be protected from potential threats so the body is always looking out for danger. These negative thoughts cause tension in the body which leads to feeling stressed and can cause illness. Practising mindfulness regularly helps us develop awareness of our thoughts and gives us the opportunity to challenge them and decide whether we want to believe them or choose another path and this helps to counter act a lot of our stress responses.