Health Wise
with Crystal Han
The Power of
Mindfulness
S
top and think for a minute.
When’s the last time you lived
fully in the present moment? If
you’re like most of us, chances
are you spend much of your day drifting
between thinking of all the things you
need to do or mulling over the things that
are already done. While thinking of the
past and future has its benefits, practicing
mindfulness does a great deal more for
your mental and physical health.
Mindfulness is avoiding unconscious
or mechanical activity by purposely
focusing your attention on the present
moment. It is where you tune into your
inner thoughts and the world around
you, accepting all of it without judg-
ment. So often, when we are overcome
with emotion, we react to it without
thought, doing and saying things that
we don’t necessarily mean and creating
more trouble for ourselves in the process.
Practicing mindfulness helps us alter
these knee-jerk reactions by allowing us
to slow down and get to know ourselves.
The more we learn about how we think
and act in various situations, the better
we get at labeling our thoughts and
feelings and letting them go, rather than
letting them dictate our behavior.
Naturally, when we are less reactive
to everything in our lives, we are less
susceptible to the effects of stress, and
there is plenty of research to prove it.
Studies have shown that mindfulness,
especially mindfulness meditation,
increases activity in the region of the
brain associated with greater resilience
to negative or stressful events. It also
has been shown to increase thickness
in the parts of the brain responsible
for visual and auditory information, as
well as present moment awareness and
regulating emotions, meaning it enhances
our attention and self-control. This,
in turn, helps to reduce the cell dam-
age incurred by stress and bolsters our
immune systems so that we are better
able to fight off diseases. Scientists have
found that practicing mindfulness can
even help lower high blood pressure,
reduce chronic pain, and improve sleep.
Practicing mindfulness has also
been shown to help with depression
and anxiety by decreasing ruminative
thoughts on one’s assumed faults or
shortcomings, as well as painful past
events. Those who suffer from depres-
sion or anxiety are better able to realize
when they are caught in a negative
thought spiral. When they do, they can
acknowledge that yes, this is a thought
they are having, but it doesn’t mean that
perceived idea of themselves is reality.
They are better equipped to look beyond
their own thoughts and see that other
people don’t view them as harshly as
they view themselves.
Now that you know some of the
benefits of mindfulness, you might be
wondering how to practice it. The great
thing about being mindful is that it can
be practiced in many forms. There are
therapeutic mindfulness programs, as
well as a plethora of apps and podcasts.
Yoga and Tai-Chi are often good starting
points because they focus on concen-
tration, such as repeating a phrase or
focusing on breathing. Mindfulness
builds off of this focus and once you
have established concentration you can
observe the flow of inner thoughts,
emotions, bodily sensations, as well as
sights, sounds, and touch. Pay attention
to what comes and goes through your
mind and what mental habits produce
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
JUNE/JULY 2018
feelings of well-being or suffering.
Of course, you don’t have to enter
into a meditative state to practice mind-
fulness. It can be cultivated anywhere,
at any time, by “single-tasking.” This
is where you do one thing at a time
and give that thing your full attention.
Whether it’s walking your dog, playing
with your kids, or even brushing your
teeth, try to stay fully in the present
as it unfolds and pay attention to your
moment-to-moment sensations
and thoughts.
No matter how you practice mind-
fulness, it’s important to remember
that the goal is not to quiet your mind
or to achieve a state of otherworldly
euphoria. The goal is to pay attention
to the present moment. You might find
that trying to do this is hard, and that’s
completely normal. Your mind will try to
be anywhere other than where you are:
your to-do list, what happened yester-
day, what’s for dinner. When you notice
it wandering, congratulate yourself—
researchers believe that it’s this act of
recognition that leads to healthier, more
agile brains—and then bring it back
to the task at hand. Your brain might
also try to judge every second, making
you feel guilty about the thoughts and
feelings you’re having. Make note of
these judgments, and then let them pass.
The same goes for any negative physical
sensations.
Like anything else in life, practicing
mindfulness takes time and work. But
the more you do it, the more you’ll find
that it’s worth it!
Sources:
Firestone, Lisa, Ph.D, Benefits, Psychology Today
The Benefits of Mindfulness Meditation, ExploreIM
How to Practice Mindfulness, mindful.org.
gmhtoday.com
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