Mindfulness
Many people find it hard to cope with the pressures of modern living. Every day, a quarter of a million people miss work because of stress, with 75 per cent of all illnesses thought to be stress-related. And when times are hard, It can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Mindfulness is a way of paying attention to the present moment, using techniques like meditation, breathing and yoga. It helps us become more aware of our thoughts and feelings so that instead of being overwhelmed by them, we’re better able to manage them.
Practising mindfulness can give people more insight into their emotions, boost their attention and concentration and improve relationships. It’s proven to help with stress, anxiety, depression and addictive behaviours, and can even have a positive effect on physical problems like hypertension, heart disease and chronic pain.
Anyone can learn mindfulness. It’s simple, you can practise it anywhere, and the results can be life-changing.
Relaxation and meditation rids the body of accumulated stress (both mental and physical) while strengthening the entire mind-body system to work more efficiently. Taking up regular forms of relaxation and meditation can promote not only improved health but also greater clarity, energy, mental awareness, confidence and creativity and fulfillment in life.
Meditation
Whilst it may be true that meditation is strongly espoused in many eastern philosophies, people of any religion can practice meditation and derive considerable health benefits from it. With commitment, perseverance and regular practice, meditation can produce life-changing positive effects. By creating time and space to honor our basic need for stillness, we can transform our mental state, emotions, physical well-being and subsequent experience of life.
The stress of internal ‘mental gibbering’ is deeply entrenched in our existence. Tragically, we have forgotten the simple pleasure of releasing our worries and finding the underlying thread of peace in each moment. That is not to say that we should ignore stressors and negative influences in our lives. However, mentally agonizing over our problems is counter-productive to health and well-being. Meditation can very effectively halt the vicious cycle of obsessive worry.
Still feeling cynical? Science, the very epitome of cynicism, is even acknowledging the benefits of regular meditation.
Meditation has been found to balance our brains’ alpha and theta waves, thus enhancing the synergy of our creative and logical cognitive faculties. Meditators exhibit superior pain resistance to electric currents administered to the skin. Research also indicates that meditation can enhance sleep quality, mood, memory, blood pressure, mental alertness, migraines and headaches, posture and stress tolerance.
Whilst meditation involves the release of all conscious attachments, visualization can be used therapeutically to direct and accelerate an intention to heal. ‘Guided imagery’ during relaxation can be a powerful tool to direct the body towards deeper healing. This re-affirms your mind and body’s intent to move towards better health.
‘Visualization’ is also a powerful stress-reducing tool and is a good introductory platform for beginners if meditation feels too difficult initially.
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