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What Are Some Ways to Practice Mindfulness?
The MBSR program is the most well-researched mindfulness program. I teach MBSR and Mindfulness to individuals, groups, and online. As well as myself, there are hundreds of other accredited MBSR teachers around the world.
There are many helpful smartphone apps on the market. Calm is the number one meditation app on the market, and you can find many of my meditations on the app.
Go to YouTube and search for guided mindfulness meditations. You can find some of my YouTube meditations here.
Your local community centre or hospital may also offer in-person mindfulness classes.
What Are the Benefits of Mindfulness?
Over four decades of research has confirmed several benefits for physical and mental health. When added to existing medical or psychological treatments, MBSR has shown to assist with:
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Asthma
- Cancer
- Chronic illness
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Gastrointestinal distress
- Grief
- Headaches
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Pain
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Skin disorders
- Sleep problems
- Work, family, and financial stress
5 Common Mindfulness Techniques to include in your routine
Here are 5 well-known mindfulness techniques. In the resources section of my website, you can access audio versions of many of these meditations on the Calm app.
- Mindful breathing – focus your awareness on your breath in and out, without trying to change the breath in any way.
- Body scan – Focus your attention on one body part at a time, noticing any physical sensations without judging or reacting to them.
- Mindful eating – Eat very slowly and deliberately while paying attention to the sensations of seeing, touching, smelling, tasting, chewing, and swallowing the food.
- Loving-kindness meditation – Direct your kind or generous thoughts and wishes first to yourself, then to loved ones, then to more distant acquaintances. And if you’re feeling brave, send kindness to someone that you have a challenging relationship.
- Mindful movement – While walking, moving or stretching, pay close attention to your breathing, your body movements, and your surroundings.
Written by Chibs Okereke, Stress & Burnout Specialist, MSc Organisational Psychology, PG Dip, BA (Hons), Accredited Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, Center for Mindfulness, University of Massachusetts Medical School