I wrote this article for a piece I was working on for my clients at the Vera Whole Health Center at Seattle Children's Hospital. In my research, I discovered fascinating proof of the powerful health benefits of this simple practice. It might just be the single most important thing for our well-being!

Mindfulness, in its simplest form is non-judgmental awareness that purposefully directs attention to one's experience in the present with an attitude of openness, curiosity and acceptance. It is a mental discipline that guides our attention.. Mindfulness asks for your full attention, but also bringing your attention to something in a particular way. The practice of mindfulness begins with focusing your attention to something in the present moment Mindfulness teaches us how to use the mind in an intentional way, and to focus on the things that are most useful and helpful in our lives, thus helping us to live more consciously and fully.

Adopting a mindfulness practice is most commonly known as meditation. There are many different schools of meditation, including Zen Buddism, Transcendental, Vipassana, Most meditation disciplines involve turning the mind and attention inward and focusing on a single thought, image, object or feeling. There are various methods of meditation, each encouraging you to focus your intention in a specific way. During meditation you may focus on;

You can also practice mindfulness in a less formal way by focusing on sensations during daily activities like having a shower, taking a walk, or eating a meal. For example, while walking through the park you may avert your attention to feeling of your feet as you walk through the grass. You may observe the subtle sensations of your environment, the sun-light reflecting off the leaves, the smells, and sounds of the park. You may notice your breath, and the way your body feels in the moment. Mindfulness is therefore both a form of meditation and a way of living. Learning to focus attention on what is being experienced here and now, without reacting to or judging it, is central to mindfulness practices.

In recent years, the importance of mindfulness has become the subject of a largely growing interest in clinical and scientific research. Mindfulness is the most scientifically investigated form of meditation, and the evidence suggests that learning to pay attention to the present may be the most important skill we ever learn.

Why is mindfulness so important? Researchers from Harvard University reported that the human mind is most happy and alert when focused on the present moment. The authors of this study wrote:

“In conclusion a human mind is a wandering mind, and a wandering mind is an unhappy mind. The ability to think about what is not happening is a cognitive achievement that comes at an emotional cost.”

What happens to the mind when we are not paying attention? According to Dr. Craig Hassed from Monash University, when our mind is wandering we are not paying attention to what we are doing. This results in more mistakes, less efficiency, and less enjoyment.

Regular mindfulness “training” may help prevent your mind from slipping into a "default mode" of replaying events of the past, worrying about the future and other negative thoughts. This pattern of thinking can leave us vulnerable to mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, or just feeling stressed, which in turn can increase our risk of poor physical health.

Feeling relaxed and focused can be an immediate side effect of practicing mindfulness, but evidence now suggests meditation has many long-term health benefits, such as improved mental performance, enhanced sleep and less chronic pain.

Health Benefits of Mindfulness and Meditation

There are hundreds of studies published in scientific journals showing that meditation, practiced regularly, can be helpful in managing, preventing and coping with a range of mental and physical health problems.

These include:

depression
anxiety
drug rehabilitation and smoking cessation
disordered eating
insomnia
autoimmune disease
chronic inflammation
asthma
ADHD
chronic pain
cancer.

Through M.R.I. brain scans and EEC (electro encephalograph), research has shown that our brain undergoes a physiological response to meditation. Researchers have discovered that mindfulness could have a positive effect on the brain by decreasing the density of the grey matter in the brain's amygdala, which is a brain region known for its role in stress. It has also been reported that the pre-frontal lobe of the brain, known for it’s “executive function,” is enhanced by regular mindfulness training. Executive functions include short-term memory, processing information, knowing what to pay attention to, making decisions, emotional regulation and prioritizing. Chronic physical and/or emotional stress can over stimulate our sympathetic nervous system, resulting in the “fight or flight” response and ‘highjack’ the pre-frontal lobe, making our basic brain function difficult if not impossible.

The bodies “flight or flight’ response is a natural and normal reaction in some cases, such as extreme danger. However, a prolonged state of agitation or a distracted and inattentive mind may trigger the over-activation of the "fight or flight" response. This stress response can be triggered inappropriately when we:

Imagine situations to be more threatening than they really are
Worry about events that may not actually happen
Repeatedly go over events that have already been and gone

Some research suggests this causes "wear and tear" on our body and over time this increases our risk of illness. Adopting a regular mindfulness practice may help counteract the effects of chronic stress and have a direct effect on our physiological and emotional well-being.

Adopting a Mindfulness Practice; How to get started

If stress has you anxious, tense, overwhelmed and worried, you might consider adopting a regular mindfulness practice.

If you are like most busy Americans, taking time to stop and meditate goes completely against our ingrained notions of efficiency and productivity – especially when the rewards aren't always immediate. However, simply noticing your thoughts and mental fluctuations throughout your day can be a good start. Over time, the benefits of your mindfulness practice will out weigh the effort, and even a few minutes of meditation can restore your calm and inner peace.

Getting Started

The “I notice” meditation

The “I notice” meditation is a simple but powerful tool that you can do by yourself or with another. The difference between this tool and formal mindfulness meditations is that you can use it at any time. The key practice of the ‘I notice’ meditation is bringing your awareness to your senses in the present moment, letting go of judgment, analysis and stories.

Choose one of your senses to focus on and simply bring awareness to what you notice. Either say: "I notice……." out loud to a friend or to yourself quietly.

“What do I see?”

“What do I hear?”

“What do I taste?”

“What do I smell?”

“What sensations do I feel on my skin?”

“What do I feel inside my body?”

“What do I notice, with my senses, in this moment?”

Once you practice noticing your sensations without a lot of stimulus (for example, as you are waking or falling asleep) try this meditation while on the bus, going grocery shopping or even while listening to another person speak.

Dr. Hassed’s “Punctuation Marks”

Dr. Craig Hassed from the Monash University in Australia suggests using your mindfulness practice much like “punctions” in your day. He say’s, “A day is just like a book. If it isn’t punctuated, it becomes a blur and makes little sense. The ‘punctiuation marks’ are times of consciously coming to rest so that we can remind ourselves to be present and pay attention.“ The following practices have been adapted from Dr. Hassed's article; The Health Benefits of Meditation and Being Mindful

Practice 1- “The full stop”

Sit upright in a chair with both feet on the floor, or on a cushion in a comfortable crossed leg position. Length the spine and open the chest, so that your posture feels open, and balanced and relaxed.

Gently close your eyes, or allow the eyes to part slightly, bringing your gaze to a still object in front of you.

Guide your attention gently through each part of your body. Be conscious of the body and its connection to the chair or floor. Feel your feet on the floor, then visually scan of your body; guiding your attention to your legs, your seat, the stomach, hands, arms, shoulders, neck and face, and so on. If tension or discomfort remains, just notice the presence of tension or discomfort without judgment.

Guide your attention to your breath. Inhale the breath deeply and slowly. Gently let the breath out. Repeat this twice more. Then allow your breathing to settle into its own natural rhythm without trying to control it in any way.

Without judgment, simply observe your thoughts as they come and go. Let the attention return to the breath. There is no need to struggle with the activity of the mind, nor even wish that it wasn’t there. Like a ‘spectator watching a parade’ just let each thought arrive and pass by.

Eventually let your attention move to the noises around you. As you listen to the noises try not to analyze the sounds. Once again, when thoughts come, let them pass. If your mind becomes distracted, for example, by listening to the mental commentary or chatter, simply notice and return to the sounds as a gentle way of returning to the present moment.

Become aware of the body again and then slowly allow your eyes to open. After a few moments quietly move into whatever activities await you.

Practice 2- “The Comma”

This exercise can be done anywhere and anytime for a few seconds or up to a couple of minutes. It is a short pause, or ‘punctuation’ in a busy day, between finishing one activity and starting another. Try this before starting the car, at the beginning of a meal, or in between patients.

The steps and principles are the same as above, but much shorter.

Be aware of your body and allow your posture to be upright, balanced and relaxed.

Relax your body by takeing three or four deep breaths in and out, releasing

tension with each exhale. Then let the breath settle into it’s natural cadence and allow your attention to gently follow each breath.

Become aware of the environment and the sounds in it as they

come and go. Do not prolong the ‘comma’ past what is appropriate for that

moment, then move quietly into whatever activity awaits you.

If you are in a busy office or environment where it would be conspicuous to close your eyes, simply allow your gaze to rest gently on a steady object. Soften the muscles of your eyes and face, and steady your attention on the visual object. You might even bring a "mindfulness object" like a stone or a flower to your office space to remind you to take a pause for yourself each day, if not multiple times a day to keep your mindfulness grammar in tip top shape.

References

http://www.49.com.au/wp-content/uploads/The-health-benefits-of-meditation-and-being-mindful_v21-2.pdf

http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/features/pst-48-2-198.pdf

http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/stories/2012/10/25/3617494.htm#.UUD8whlveeT