While mindfulness may seem like a very abstract concept, it really is a basic human exercise. Mindfulness is achieving enlightenment of where you are and what you are doing. Your opened mind has complete awareness of your inner thoughts and emotions. When you are mindful, you are not easily overwhelmed by your surroundings or internal thoughts. By practicing mindfulness, you hold back judgment for yourself and others to have a kinder outlook on the surrounding world. Mindfulness is not a strict discipline and can take many forms depending on what you enjoy and have time for. It’s easy to incorporate mindfulness into your every day routine.

What are the Origins of Mindfulness?

The practice of mindfulness today comes from multiple religious and secular practices, having been practiced for thousands of years in larger organized institutions or by themselves. Traditions from Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism have led to mediation practices like well-known yoga. One common yoga practice is conducting a full body scan to help ground you, and it’s a self-assessment of how you are feeling. Other religions like Judaism, Christianity, and Islam also integrate mindfulness practices into their religious traditions and texts. Non-religious meditation practices have become more popular recently, making mindfulness more accessible for everyone. 

 

How do I Practice Mindfulness? 

Getting started with a mindfulness practice isn’t overly complicated. You can:

• Do it seated, walking, standing, or through movement
• Just take a brief moment in your day-to-day life
• Integrate mindfulness into activities or sports like yoga and meditation

Just like any other new skill, you need to keep practicing! You can spend just 5 minutes or more per day to become more mindful. You can practice anywhere, and it doesn’t even have to be a quiet place.

 

What are the Benefits?

Learning to live in the moment instead of allowing your thoughts to focus on the past or the future offers many benefits, including:

• Decreased stress
• Improved mood
• Boost activity performance
• Increased empathy towards others and their wellbeing 

There are many benefits, and with a little time, you can start enjoying them all. Unfortunately, women are much more prone to worry than men, but practicing mindfulness can help reduce stress. 

A recent study also showed that women who practice mindfulness are better leaders and experience better benefits. Women often try to do a lot of things at once, and we can start to feel overwhelmed at times. However, controlling your thoughts and emotions through mindfulness will improve your sense of wellbeing. By taking some time to focus on your mental health, you can also improve your interpersonal relationships. Increased awareness has also even been shown to help improve intimacy!

 

How do I Start a Mindfulness Practice?

An easy way to get started is by working on your mindfulness meditation practice. You can try focusing on your breathing. If your thoughts begin to drift, you return your attention to your breathing. This is a great way to improve your mindfulness practice and strengthen your skills. Recognizing and acknowledging your thoughts will make it easier to focus on your current goals and achieve them. 

 

How Can We Help?

Want to learn more about mindfulness? Call us at (323) 372-5150 and learn more about meditation and mindfulness at Thumos Health Center.