Mindfulness and your health

Mindfulness seems to be quite the buzz word these days. From yoga to meditation to Tai Chi and Qigong, we constantly hear about all the benefits of mindfulness. It can help regulate emotions, deal with stress, reduce our blood pressure and so much more.

What is mindfulness?

For me, mindfulness is about being in the moment, not dwelling on the past or thinking about the future. (Two areas I always seem to lapse into.) But having a full-time job, a husband, two teenage kids, a rescue pit bull, a side hustle, hobbies, the list goes on and on, there’s so much on my mind! And let’s not forget about all the great distractors like social media, TV, the unexpected family or work emergency, or just not feeling well. These all play a role in your ability to be mindful.

Train your brain

It can be hard to be mindful and much easier to be mind full. For me, having a daily meditation practice has helped. I like to think of it as “brain training.” I work out my body in the gym with weights and I work my brain with meditation. Personally, I’ve found that using a free app like Calm, Head Space or Insight Timer is the easiest way to get started. A guided meditation can help walk you through the process so you don’t feel like you’re doing it “wrong.” There really is no wrong way to meditate. Everyone is different. Some people like sitting, others prefer to lie down or walking. When I was into running, I found running to be incredibly meditative and a great way to work through my thoughts and feelings.

Benefits I experienced

While having a meditation practice can seem like adding another to-do item to your list. I personally think mindfulness can help all aspects of your life, from your emotional health to your physical health to the health of your relationships. It’s less about formality and more about checking in with yourself. What changed for me? I find that I don’t get stressed as easily as in the past. I don’t “fly off the handle” or get angry; it also takes a lot to set me off. I sit with my emotions and question why I feel angry, sad or hurt. You’d be surprised to find some underlying issues or past trauma that seems to surface based on how you react to certain situations.

What are your thoughts about mindfulness? Is it integral to your health or a fleeting trend?