Meditation and Mindfulness
Mind Lesson Four: Meditation and Mindfulness
Mindfulness and Meditation are a wonderful way to reduce stress, increase focus, relax the body and get your body out of “fight or flight” mode.
But they are not the exact same thing.
Mindfulness is a way to bring your attention back to the now, become present with what your are doing and reduce stress in the moment. We want to try and be mindful for as much of the day as we can to reduce overthinking.
Meditation is a practise that helps to reduce built up stress, not just what is happening in the moment. It calms the racing “monkey mind” that overthinks, and as you practise, your brain waves slow. There are studies that show that meditation can increase the areas of your brain associated with creativity. Plus it helps you to become a calmer, more present person who is more resilient to stress.
I believe mindfulness and meditation are a key part of the mindset of a Powherful women. Having the ability to handle anything that life throws at you with grace, clearing the self-depreciating thoughts, and physiologically being able to change your state is truly Powherful.
MINDFULNESS
To be mindful, you want to bring your attention to what is happening in that moment. This could be:
Reminders to be mindful
Mindful Eating - focusing on the texture, smell and taste of your food with no distractions
Taking 10 deep breaths
Paying attention during routine tasks like brushing your teeth, applying makeup rather than rushing to get it done
Going for a walk and observing nature around you
Taking a break from your work
Truly listen when someone is talking to you
MEDITATION
To meditate, you don’t need anything fancy, just a space you can be for a few minutes relatively undisturbed. You can do any of the following things
Start with just 10 minutes
Focus on your breath - box breathing (in for 4, hold for 4, out for 4, hold for 4), counting breaths, breathing into your belly and ribcage, not your neck and chest
Do a body scan, slowly paying attention to your body and relaxing any areas holding tension, start with your head and neck and work your way down
Can sit up against a wall, or lay on the floor. I like to lay with my legs elevated on a sofa and a pillow under my head.
Can listen to binaural beats (on youtube) in headphones. This is a sound that helps to bring your brainwaves down to a more relaxed frequency
Start with being more mindful each day, and just 10 minutes of meditation. It doesn’t matter if it’s when you wake up, lunch time or before bed, you’re never too busy for 10 minutes!