What is Mindfulness Meditation?
Mindfulness meditation is a mental training practice that involves focusing on your experience, (emotions, thoughts, bodily sensations) in the present moment. There are a variety of mindful meditation practices, all using a simple object of focus. Focussed attention on the breath, bodily sensations, a mantra (repeating a word), sounds, self-inquiry, loving kindness or gratitude.
When the mind wanders and gets lost in thought (as it will), one simply redirects their focus back to the object of the meditation. This practice of catching ourselves in thought and then returning to the object of focus is what mindfulness is all about. Developing the awareness of what our mind is doing and then gently redirecting it. This is the basis of mindfulness.
“Mindfulness is not about being positive all the time or a bubblegum sort of happiness — la, la, la. It’s about noticing what happens moment to moment, the easy and the difficult, and the painful and the joyful. It’s about building a muscle to be present and awake in your life.””
Benefits of Meditation
Meditation produces a very deep state of physical rest that helps settle the nervous system and helps you become more engaged and less emotionally reactive. Regular meditators have been found to be more relaxed, happier, more productive and more compassionate than non-meditators. They report higher levels of confidence, a greater sense of peace, a clearer mind, and better decision-making.
Lowers blood pressure
Increases energy and vitality
Reduces anxiety and depression
Deepens connections to yourself and others
Creates positive structural and functional changes in the brain
Leads to greater focus, improved mental clarity and enhanced memory
Improves sleep and digestion
Contributes to a more optimistic outlook on life
Leads to a clearer sense of purpose and deeper fulfillment
Renews enthusiasm and bolsters creativity
Promotes more feelings of peace, joy and freedom
Boosts immune system & reduces cellular toxicity
General Recommendations for Meditation:
Ideally, you should meditate every day, at the same time of day. This helps to create a new rhythm and repeatable habit.
It is recommended that you meditate for 10-30 minutes two times per day.
The best time of day is the early morning upon rising (before eating) and in the evening just before dinner. Some people fit in a meditation before lunch. You should always meditate before eating. (Digestion can oftentimes cause sleepiness.)
The morning meditation sets the tone for the day and creates a foundation of responsiveness in place of reactivity.
The afternoon meditation is important because it reduces stress that has built up during the day. It also helps to stabilize one’s nervous system and creates more vitality and regulated energy. It’s better than coffee, chocolate or alcohol.
Contrary to some opinions, meditation is not best practiced before sleep (although there are some sleeping meditations you can do), as it can increase alertness and it can occasionally interrupt the normal stages of falling asleep.