Just the latest craze…?

What is mindfulness…

At its most basic, mindfulness entails paying attention to the present moment with intention and curiosity. In our practices, we use mindfulness and compassion exercises as tools to:-

• develop greater focus and concentration,

• notice, understand and gain greater control over our thoughts and reactions,

• defuse ruminations and manage stress and anxiety,

• ultimately gain a sense of insight and perspective into our patterns of thoughts and emotions.

What evidence is there for its benefits and are there any counter-indications?

 There is now ample research in the field of neuroscience showing the wide ranging benefits of a regular practice of meditation. Much like your physical health is enhanced by regular physical exercise, you can improve your mental health and resilience through a regular meditation practice.

There are very limited counter-indications to the practice of mindfulness. It can be practised by, and beneficial for, virtually anyone at any age. When signing up for our sessions, we will ask you to complete a short health questionnaire to ensure mindfulness is suitable to your condition and check whether you may require any personal adjustments.

Others FAQs…

I am not the kind to sit still or cross-legged, is mindfulness for me?

Neither am I! Then again the need to constantly be active, or on the move, might also be an indication that we are avoiding being with our thoughts or shying away from what we might otherwise feel when we take a few moments to slow down. Meditation practice is an opportunity to hit the reset button, replenish and reconnect with ourselves.

Is it not a little self-indulgent to take that kind of time for myself?

It is important to not mistake self-care for self-indulgence. A regular practice of mindfulness allows us to become more grounded, to respond to situations from a place of balance (rather than “react” and often later regret those words we said or things we did). It is hard to show up at our best for our friends, family or colleagues when we have exhausted our own personal resources. We are all familiar with the old instruction “Put your own oxygen mask first…”

Will practicing meditation allow me to relax?

Relaxation can be (and often is) a by-product of meditation but this is not the intended objective nor is it always the outcome of our meditation practice. Instead, practising mindfulness is more about exploring how we feel in the present moment and cultivating a mindset of openness, curiosity, perspective and compassion for our circumstances.

This being said, once a regular practice is in place, most people report a greater sense of serenity, of feeling “in sync” and a greater ability to cope with life’s challenges.

I am too busy, I really don’t think I can find time for meditation.

In today’s life we seem to go from one task to another (when we are not already multi-tasking) trying to fit in just as much as the hours within the day would let us. So why add yet another activity to your busy schedule, you might ask? My answer would be to simply be more present and fulfilled in doing what really matters, but also to prioritise and feel ok about what won’t get done (or at least not straight away). Through meditation we learn not only to focus and become more efficient with the task at hand, but we also gain greater perspective on other surrounding aspects of our life.

How quickly will I see the benefits, will the results show straightaway?

As your practice evolves, you should find that each session might leave you a little more centred and grounded. This said, I like to compare the practice of mindfulness to a session in the (mind) gym. Some days you will look forward to your sessions and even find them easy and enjoyable, others will be a real drag and you will find things are not quite working the way you wish they did. Here is the deal though: every time you sit and turn up, you are progressing and taking in the benefits of the exercise. Research by a team led by Harvard-affiliated researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) found that after a regular practice of mindfulness for a period of over 8 weeks showed thickening of the cerebral cortex in areas associated with attention and emotional integration.

“It is fascinating to see the brain’s plasticity and that, by practicing meditation, we can play an active role in changing the brain and can increase our well-being and quality of life,” says Britta Hölzel, first author of the paper and a research fellow at MGH and Giessen University in Germany.

More importantly, the benefits of a regular practice of mindfulness do not just show while meditating, they gradually trickle into our everyday life.

Is there a particular faith or religion associated with this practice?

At Mindful Mindset, we teach mindfulness in a secular and science-based fashion.

Mindfulness may well have become more popular (some would say “fashionable”) in the western world over the last 30 or so years but it has existed as a reflective practice for well over 2,500 years. Its origins go back to various religious and secular traditions, including Hinduism, Christianism, Muslim, Buddhism before the modern secular practices. It was also firmly woven into schools of philosophy such as Stoicism in ancient Greece.

I have a particular physical or mental impairment, should that prevent me from trying?

We would encourage you to discuss any adjustments you might need and we will be discussing with you any mental or physical conditions that might affect your practice or constitute a counter-indication to mindfulness. Subject to our initial assessment and possible adjustments, there are however very limited counter-indications to the practice of mindfulness.