Post by Kimberley on Aug 27, 2013 10:49:28 GMT
Lots of you may have heard about Mindfulness, but I want to share with you a bit more about it and what it may be able to do to help you with your disorder. Why? Well because it's helped me and continues to do so, and I've seen with my own eyes how it can benefit other people. I've suggested it to a few members on the forum so thought I'd do a bit more information about why I think it's so brill!
What's the history behind all this Mindfulness?
Mindfulness has in fact been around for centuries, and is thought to originate from the teachings of the Buddha. (Please note however that Mindfulness does not have to be based around your religion and can be practiced by anyone and everyone, and has been practised by many other religions for hundreds of years.) It was used as a way to spiritually connect and help aid with concentration through the act of meditation.
What's the actual point of Mindfulness? Is there an aim?
The aim of Mindfulness is to help you become more aware of the present moment so as to help you feel less overwhelmed by everything else going on around you, including all your daily stresses and fears for the future, as well as helping you not to concentrate so much on the past. It helps you to see more clearly and be accepting of our lives the way they are. It helps you to take notice of what you would normally otherwise miss in a world where everything is happening so quickly.
So how do I do it? I'm not really up for sitting with my legs crossed and saying "ommm".
When people often hear the term "meditation" they can sometimes jump to the conclusion that you have to be some sort of Monk or highly spiritual being who can sit for days on end meditating. This isn't the case. The fantastic thing about Mindfulness is that we can all do it, no matter age, gender, ability or disability. It doesn't matter if you work, are a stay at home mum, or a student. It's extremely accessible to everyone!
There's lots of different ways in which you can be "Mindful" including in your every day activities. You can try out Mindful Breathing techniques. For example, people with anxiety have a tendency to breathe more rapidly and take shorter breaths that make your chest rise and fall, where as Mindful Breathing helps you turn this back to watching the rise and fall of your stomach to have deeper and more relaxed breaths.
You also have the option of trying out a Body Scan. This is fantastic for those suffering with insomnia and I've seen it work for people who can't sleep with my own eyes! This involves you laying down on the floor and being aware of every bit of your body, how the floor feels, how your clothing lays on you, whether you can feel a breeze. There's a variety of Body Scans that take a different amount of time, meaning you can work one in to your every day life. You can get a whole host of videos for free from YouTube with guided Body Scans.
These are just two of the many different exercises available. There's so many different ways in which you can carry out Mindfulness to make it more accessible for you and to fit in with your routine. Mindfulness should be enjoyed and should fit to you. Everyone has a different experience so try out a few things until you find what works best. For me personally, I found that changing my breathing made me very anxious. This is because I know I have issues with how anxiety changes my breathing, but one day, I hope to master this skill. The best technique for me has been Guided Imagery, where you sit and are talked through imagining a particular vision. This worked wonders for me, and I even naturally felt my heart rate slow down.
But does it actually work?
Yes! There has been lots and lots of research on Mindfulness, and the National Institute for Clinicial Excellence (NICE) actually recommends Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to help prevent the relapse in recurrent depression. (www.mentalhealth.org.uk) It's also been proven to help with anxiety disorders, chronic pain, insomnia, and a whole host of other physical and mental health problems. Alongside this, it can help us with our daily lives by improving concentration, helping us pay more attention, improve relationships and allow us to actually face difficult situations in a clearer way. It can even help improve your immune system! In 2010, 72% of GPs agreed that Mindfulness - based treatments would help their patients who are suffering with a mental health condition (www.youngminds.org.uk).
Okay you've sold it to me! I need to start it now!
Please remember that practising Mindfulness is a continuous journey. It will not be easy to do straight away and it's extremely important to practice, every day if possible, to help you reap the most rewards from it. Switching off is very difficult to do, and I'm speaking from experience! It's hard to train your thoughts in a different way, as you may well be aware if you have done CBT. It's easy when meditating for thoughts to creep back in and dampen our experiences. Give yourself time, and don't give up. Practice!
That's fair enough - so where can I find out more?
There's so much available to help you learn Mindfulness.
So, give it a go, and let me know what you think about it if you start practising. There's lots of information online as well if you want to find out more general information including www.bemindful.co.uk and www.getselfhelp.co.uk.
Enjoy :-)
Kim x
What's the history behind all this Mindfulness?
Mindfulness has in fact been around for centuries, and is thought to originate from the teachings of the Buddha. (Please note however that Mindfulness does not have to be based around your religion and can be practiced by anyone and everyone, and has been practised by many other religions for hundreds of years.) It was used as a way to spiritually connect and help aid with concentration through the act of meditation.
What's the actual point of Mindfulness? Is there an aim?
The aim of Mindfulness is to help you become more aware of the present moment so as to help you feel less overwhelmed by everything else going on around you, including all your daily stresses and fears for the future, as well as helping you not to concentrate so much on the past. It helps you to see more clearly and be accepting of our lives the way they are. It helps you to take notice of what you would normally otherwise miss in a world where everything is happening so quickly.
So how do I do it? I'm not really up for sitting with my legs crossed and saying "ommm".
When people often hear the term "meditation" they can sometimes jump to the conclusion that you have to be some sort of Monk or highly spiritual being who can sit for days on end meditating. This isn't the case. The fantastic thing about Mindfulness is that we can all do it, no matter age, gender, ability or disability. It doesn't matter if you work, are a stay at home mum, or a student. It's extremely accessible to everyone!
There's lots of different ways in which you can be "Mindful" including in your every day activities. You can try out Mindful Breathing techniques. For example, people with anxiety have a tendency to breathe more rapidly and take shorter breaths that make your chest rise and fall, where as Mindful Breathing helps you turn this back to watching the rise and fall of your stomach to have deeper and more relaxed breaths.
You also have the option of trying out a Body Scan. This is fantastic for those suffering with insomnia and I've seen it work for people who can't sleep with my own eyes! This involves you laying down on the floor and being aware of every bit of your body, how the floor feels, how your clothing lays on you, whether you can feel a breeze. There's a variety of Body Scans that take a different amount of time, meaning you can work one in to your every day life. You can get a whole host of videos for free from YouTube with guided Body Scans.
These are just two of the many different exercises available. There's so many different ways in which you can carry out Mindfulness to make it more accessible for you and to fit in with your routine. Mindfulness should be enjoyed and should fit to you. Everyone has a different experience so try out a few things until you find what works best. For me personally, I found that changing my breathing made me very anxious. This is because I know I have issues with how anxiety changes my breathing, but one day, I hope to master this skill. The best technique for me has been Guided Imagery, where you sit and are talked through imagining a particular vision. This worked wonders for me, and I even naturally felt my heart rate slow down.
But does it actually work?
Yes! There has been lots and lots of research on Mindfulness, and the National Institute for Clinicial Excellence (NICE) actually recommends Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to help prevent the relapse in recurrent depression. (www.mentalhealth.org.uk) It's also been proven to help with anxiety disorders, chronic pain, insomnia, and a whole host of other physical and mental health problems. Alongside this, it can help us with our daily lives by improving concentration, helping us pay more attention, improve relationships and allow us to actually face difficult situations in a clearer way. It can even help improve your immune system! In 2010, 72% of GPs agreed that Mindfulness - based treatments would help their patients who are suffering with a mental health condition (www.youngminds.org.uk).
Okay you've sold it to me! I need to start it now!
Please remember that practising Mindfulness is a continuous journey. It will not be easy to do straight away and it's extremely important to practice, every day if possible, to help you reap the most rewards from it. Switching off is very difficult to do, and I'm speaking from experience! It's hard to train your thoughts in a different way, as you may well be aware if you have done CBT. It's easy when meditating for thoughts to creep back in and dampen our experiences. Give yourself time, and don't give up. Practice!
That's fair enough - so where can I find out more?
There's so much available to help you learn Mindfulness.
- Have a hunt around for local courses. Due to it's ever increasing popularity, courses are popping up all over the country. The great thing about doing a course means you learn the essential techniques the correct way so that when you practice alone, you'll feel more confident doing so. Keep an eye out for advertisements in your local Buddhist centre, doctors surgeries and complementary health clinics.
- Read a book. There's so many out there that can help you learn and understand the techniques of Mindfulness. My top four books are: Get Some Headspace - Andy Puddicombe, Mindfulness: Finding Peace in a Frantic World - Mark Williams and Danny Penman, The Mindful Way through Depression - Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Seagal, Jon Kabat-Zinn (I was advised NOT to read this if you're feeling particularly depressed as it's very heavy going) and Wherever You Go, There You Are - Jon Kabat-Zinn. All are available on Amazon or check your local library.
- Look online. I HIGHLY recommend www.getsomeheadspace.com where you can sign up for free for Andy Puddicombes guided meditation recordings, Take 10. They are what they say on the tin, and it's just 10 minutes a day. You can pay extra if you want to then upgrade to guided meditations like Take 15 and Take 20. The brilliant thing about this website is that it's very simple to use, has lots of information on it, and even a forum for support if you have any questions. YouTube also has so many guided meditation videos that you'l have difficulty in choosing! Take advantage of the freebies! If you just Google "free mindfulness exercises" you'll come across lots and lots of free downloads so you can pop them on your iPod too.
So, give it a go, and let me know what you think about it if you start practising. There's lots of information online as well if you want to find out more general information including www.bemindful.co.uk and www.getselfhelp.co.uk.
Enjoy :-)
Kim x