Mindful Exercise

What mindfulness is/isn’t?

Benefits of mindfulness

Mindful minutes

Mindful Exercise

Discussion

Being fully present in the momentBeing aware of yourself : thoughts, sensations in the body, sight, sounds

Ability to be fully present, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what is going on around us. Simply observing

No Judgement!

Do not want to change thoughts

“Paying attention in a particular way – on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally”

-Jon Kabat-Zinn

It is not relaxationRemember, when being mindful, you are not trying to change anything, simply become aware.

Simply observe how things are

Not a religion

It does not demand a lot of time out of your day

Not to be confused with positive thinking

Mindfulness has been shown to:

Reduce chronic pain

Research has shown that a mindfulness practice has been correlated to slowing the rate of cellular aging!

Increase Immune functioning under stress

Mindfulness has been shown to:Improve sustained attention, visuospatial memory, working memory and concentration

Improve resilience and our ability to process emotions under stress

Gives you a tool to cope with difficult situations, difficult thoughts and emotions

You will discover a deeper sense of what is important to you

Cultivates patience

Seated quietly and be present in the body – “check in”

Merging mindfulness with other actives:

• Present while eating a meal, or drinking a cup of coffee

• Incorporate into yoga or sports

Three deep breaths

Take in your surroundings (sight, sound)

Schedule it! Put it in your calendar, leave yourself a note

Find a time that works for you, there is no right or wrong time of day.

Include your family!

Practice right when you wake up, before you get out of bed.

Keep it simple!

*McGill HR website

https://www.mcgill.ca/hr/benefits/health-well-being/resources/mental-health/mindfulness

* Mindful.org

https://www.mindful.org/free-mindfulness-resources-for-calm-during-covid-outbreak/

*Freemindfulness.org http://www.freemindfulness.org/download

*Many wonderful apps! My personal favorite

https://insighttimer.com/

* Stop, Breath & Think (great for beginners!)

https://www.stopbreathethink.com/meditations/

*YouTube is filled with a lot of great channels

https://www.youtube.com/user/calmdotcom

Tips and tricks from the group:* Keep a gratitude journal – reflect on 3 good things about your day

*5 senses countdown - 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you can touch, 2 things you smell, and 1 thing you can taste

*Schedule non-negotiable time for mindful activities

*Honest guys meditation (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheHonestGuys/playlists)