Sunday 16 August 2015

Think you are too busy to take time for mindfulness meditation?



Did you know that you don’t have to stop what you are doing or working on in order to do these exercises. Practicing mindfulness in the activities you do will increase your focus and improve your productivity.

The following is a short excerpt and a basic exercise from http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/mindfulness.htm. The article has a lot of good information and more exercises for those who would like to learn how to still their mind and increase their focus. 

Mindfulness is a very simple concept.  Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way:  on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.  This increases awareness, clarity and acceptance of our present-moment reality. 

Mindfulness does not conflict with any beliefs or tradition, religious, cultural or scientific.  It is simply a practical way to notice thoughts, physical sensations, sights, sounds, smells - anything we might not normally notice.  The actual skills might be simple, but because it is so different to how our minds normally behave, it takes a lot of practice.  

Mindful Breathing Exercise

The primary focus in Mindfulness Meditation is the breathing. However, the primary goal is a calm, non-judging awareness, allowing thoughts and feelings to come and go without getting caught up in them. This creates calmness and acceptance.
  1. Sit comfortably, with your eyes closed and your spine reasonably straight.
  2. Direct your attention to your breathing.
  3. When thoughts, emotions, physical feelings or external sounds occur, simply accept them, giving them the space to come and go without judging or getting involved with them.
  4. When you notice that your attention has drifted off and becoming caught up in thoughts or feelings, simply note that the attention has drifted, and then gently bring the attention back to your breathing.
It's ok and natural for thoughts to arise, and for your attention to follow them. No matter how many times this happens, just keep bringing your attention back to your breathing. 





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