MINDFULNESS MEDITATION
What is mindfulness meditation?
Mindfulness is, at its most basic definition, is the cultivation of one's conscious awareness, on purpose, of the present moment without judgment.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, considered one of the "Fathers" of Mindfulness in the West, elaborates on this definition of mindfulness here.
Mindfulness, as Kabat-Zinn teaches us, is a way of being, more than anything else. It allows us to respond, rather than react, to the moments in our lives with compassion, patience, and ease.
One way to cultivate mindfulness is the practice of meditation, hence the practice of “mindfulness meditation”.
Mindfulness meditation can have a profound effect on our overall health and wellness, simply by sitting with out thoughts and emotions with an attitude of non-judgment and self-compassion.
Below are some simple steps to follow to begin your own 15-minute mindfulness meditation practice:
Start your timer on your phone or watch for 15 minutes.
Find a comfortable seat whether on a chair, on the floor or lying down (yes, you can do meditation while lying down on your back).
Ensure that you are in a space that is quiet.
Ensure that you feel grounded in your seat. Feel free to fidget around and remove the flesh away from the sit bones so that you feel the connection between your seat and the ground (or the chair).
Place one hand on your belly and one hand on your heart and close your eyes.
Now, take a deep inhale through your nose, harnessing the breath from your belly.
Exhale audibly out of your nose or the mouth from the crown of the head. Practice this organic inhale and exhale for as many rounds as you wish until you feel completely at ease
As you continue to breathe your natural breath or orana (in Sanskrit, “life force energy”), begin to observe the sensations in your body. What are you feeling? What are you hearing? What are you smelling? What are you teasting?
Notice if you are feeling tension in part(s) of your body. See if you can direct the breath to those areas of your body that are holding tension.
Now, visualize the breath actually breaking up those area(s) of your body that are holding tension, maybe even pain. Visualization is a key component to the practice of mediation.
Notice too the thoughts that may be coming into your field of vision as you continue to breathe from your belly. Try not to assign any judgments to these thoughts.
Visualize these thoughts as though they are floating clouds passing through your field of vision. On the inhale, the thoughts move into your field of vision, and on the exhale, they disappear out of your field of vision.
Continue to allow your breathe to guide your response to the thoughts, feelings and sensations that you are observing.
You may wish to repeat a mantra of your choice for the duration of your practice. One beautiful and simple mantra that I recommend is “So hum” which means “I am”.
When your timer goes off, begin to gently bring yourself back into this realm by beginning to focus on your natural, organic inhales and exhales. Slowly, begin to open your eyes and take a moment to acknowledge your physical presence in the present moment.
Thank yourself for choosing to cultivate self-awareness and presence through the practice of mindfulness meditation.
