In a world that's constantly on the go, it can be hard to take a step back and really focus on the present. But with mindfulness, you can learn to give open, tolerant, and demanding attention to everything you do. Mindfulness is a practice that helps to lower physiological markers of stress and improve the brain's ability to control stress. It does this by increasing connectivity in the area of the brain that is important for attention and executive control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex).It can be difficult to dedicate 20 to 30 minutes to meditation in our busy lives.
But there are still ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life. You can create micropractices throughout the day to focus your awareness. Take a moment and check with your body, what do you notice? Where do you keep your blood pressure? Do you have aches or pains? Do you feel heavy or light? Focusing your attention on your body can help realign your attention to the present, but it also connects you to the information you need to better care for yourself. Mindfulness is all about gently focusing your attention on the present moment over and over again. It offers tools to improve your work and concentration through breathing practices and self-compassion exercises.
You can even try a 20-minute bedtime practice to help you stay calm and less focused on your thoughts while you sleep. The easiest way to practice mindfulness is to focus on your breathing, focusing your attention on inhaling and exhaling repeatedly. The more you practice mindfulness, the more beneficial it will be for your life. It translates well to people of different ages and skill ranges, so even preschoolers can learn the basics of mindfulness based on the elements of nature. Jon Kabat-Zinn combined his studies of Hatha yoga with mindfulness practices and Buddhist principles he learned from his many teachers. During a training session led by Westbrook, one participant said she couldn't stop thinking about what was for dinner during the meditation practice; other people nodded their heads.
This just goes to show that it takes time and practice to really reap the rewards of mindfulness. Metta McGarvey teaches a workshop for educators inside the Gutman Conference Center that focuses on how to develop more confidence through mindfulness.
