To be Mindful
What is it to be mindful? To be aware of everything in the present moment, without judegment. The whole concept of mindfulness plays a big role in Buddhism. In the world of complimentary and alternative medicine, mindfulness is rapidly becoming a method of choice for stress reduction, relieving pain, decreasing anxiety, and improving mood and lessening depression.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction
Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn developed the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) to treat stress-related conditions.
The National Center for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine provides funding for a number of research studies on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program. In the Journal of General Internal Medicine one such study examined the effects of massage and mindfulness for patients dealing with chronic pain (J Gen Intern Med. 2005 December; 20(12): 1136–1138). The study revealed that massage may be more effective for pain reduction while the mindfulness-based stress reduction may be more effective for improving mood.
Being mindful is about really gaining awareness of the present moment - to be aware of your self, your thoughts, your body, your actions, your surroundings, your feelings. It is a kind of active yet passive form of meditation that you can do anytime, anywhere by simply focusing on what is happening in the present moment.
Here is a mindful exercise you can try for yourself:
Become mindful while walking. Notice the inner chatter of the mind, while being mindful of the sensations in your feet as you take each step. Hear the sounds, feel the sensations while simply noticing what your mind has to say about what you are doing. It sounds easier than it is, so don't be discouraged if your mind is saying: "what kind of exercise is this," "sounds pretty dumb to me," or "how can noticing my feet make me feel better". Try it for awhile and see what happens.
© Copyright, Sylvia Carlson, March, 2007. Reproduction without permission prohibited.
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