Day 4: Misconceptions About Meditation and Mindfulness
There is a common misconception that some of us are good at mindfulness practices, and some of us aren't made for it.
After over 7 years of cultivating a mindfulness practice, as well as facilitating and talking to teams and individuals on the topic, I can humbly say that no-one is really 'made' for mindfulness. Everyone has times in life, when circumstances make it hard to stay present. It's these times when mindfulness is more like a flag pole, grounding us and helping us get through the hardship and stress.
Mindfulness is a practice that we each choose to prioritise and embody. Or not.
While getting started may be difficult, the benefits you can reap in your life are priceless. Mindfulness can help improve relationships and mental wellbeing as well as help us operate under pressure. The reality is everyone is capable of cultivating a mindfulness practice that works for them.
The key is consistency.
Incorporate a mindfulness practice in your life.
There are so many forms of mindfulness practice. From seated meditations to mindful movement such as yoga and walking to reflective activities such as journalling and visualisation exercises. We can all benefit from one or more of these practices.
Within the last decade, the field of neuroscience has helped link mindfulness practices with neuroplasticity. That is, the rewiring of our brain circuitry to override our default behaviours. This can be particularly relevan to those dealing with addictions, or harmful behaviours or even those wanting to pick up new habits. We can all benefit from conscious unlearning and relearning ways of being. At the very least, mindfulness can help us gain awareness of our internal thought patterns to evaluate whether existing behaviours continue to serve us or not.
So don't be discouraged by "not being made for mindfulness" and find a mindfulness practice that works for you - there is no right or wrong way. But it should be a conscious choice.
Here are some great mindfulness practices that are accessible to anyone to try incorporating in your day.
#1. Daily journaling
There's so much going on in our brains all the time, it can be overwhelming to sift through. Journalling allows us to organise our thoughts and explore the themes that may be giving us grief, anxiety or joy.
Try setting aside even 5 minutes a day to journal, without any expectations and see what comes up. It's also a useful check-in as it helps to ground us from thinking about the past and the future.
#2. Sit and breathe. Or move and breathe.
From body scans, to mindful meditation, to visualisations, mediation is simply to act of finding stillness and alignment between body, mind and breath.
It's truly incredible how different you can feel after a few minutes of focusing on the breath, and not getting carried away in thought. If sitting still is too difficult, even with the help of a guided practice, try focusing on your body and breath in a moving activity, such as walking or yoga. You'll focus your mind and allow your mind to take a break from the worries.
#3. Practice Compassion and Empathy.
You know the saying, where attention goes, energy flows? Well, just as important is how we pay attention to whatever is happening. While we can't control where we need to pay our attention sometimes, we can consciously choose the lens that we interpret the situation or exchange. This can infinitely improve the experience for both ourselves and those in the situation.
The key to practicing compassion and empathy consciously is choosing to see similarities and consciously offering kindness. Yes, even if in the moment it is not being reciprocated. If we consciously choose these thoughts, over our judgemental or negative thoughts, we are strengthening these neural pathways that will develop a new mental habit.(What we think, we become).
In conversations, empathetic listening is a practice we can embody to bring out the best in ourselves and others. Being present, offering kindness and being curious helps us improve our empathetic listening.
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We live in a fast paced world and often expect instant outcomes. Mindfulness will not provide these and nor should we expect it to. Think of it as a practice and way of living. While it takes discipline and consistency, the benefits can be deep and long lasting.
