Topic: Relaxation and stress ~ the connection
How to manage and remain in charge of your own equilibrium
Practice Mindfulness –
This has become a focus across many different jobs, lifestyles, and situations today.
Mindfulness itself is a concept long practiced in different spiritual paths and even in Indigenous peoples discovered at the turn of the last century. A simple definition of it is –
Non-judgemental attention to the current Present moment… in Each current present moment.
If that sounds like a lofty goal, it certainly is! Yet, it is a technique that is incorporated into many kinds of people’s lifestyles today as well as in the past. Mindfulness, and the various methods to teach its practice through the centuries, are a way of truly staying closer to spirit.
There are numerous practices, skills, or habits to choose from that can become part of your mindfulness practice—
o Yoga
o Tai chi
o Meditation
o Self-guided relaxation exercises
o Spending time in nature
o Gardening
o Singing, chanting, or humming alone
o Quiet walks with no talking
o Turning off the cell phone for specific lengths of time
o Creating down times from the internet
o Keeping a journal to reflect on your mindfulness exercises
o And many more like these
Disconnect to Reconnect to yourself and your own private personal needs.
The benefits to these various practices are incalculable, but the primary gift is the shift in your own personal consciousness to begin Right NOW taking care of yourself… before you reach out to care for anyone, or anything, else. This only takes a few moments once you have the practice ingrained.
The extraordinarily important corollary to this mindfulness practice is –
NOT beating yourself up if, when, you forget to ‘come In.’
Because, you see, the bottom line is learning to truly respect yourself, and eventually, to love yourself unconditionally. This is evolved learning, rather than hardcore discipline.
Incorporate Accessories
Dharna, a relaxed concentration method from India, means consciously holding one’s focus on the chosen perspective that you intend to achieve. In practice, one creatively brings reminders of the point of view into your environment. For example, you might set aside one room or a place in a room that directs your attention to your mindfulness habit. If you have chosen yoga or tai chi practice, create a workout outfit just for this! as a reminder to fix the new habit into your self-concept. If gardening is your one activity of ‘getting away’ …consider gifting yourself gardening gloves that are flexible, sturdy, and attractive to your eye. Let yourself know you are taking care of you. Or you might prefer the introspection of keeping a mindfulness journal. This is so popular that there are many types available to choose - from simple notebooks to device journal apps. A lovely, keepable, and sturdy one I found on Amazon is called Mindfulness Journal: A Daily Diary for Women & Girls to Practice Gratitude, Meditation, and Breathing and to Relax & Reduce Stress and Anxiety. You can view this journal by clicking on the name. I like this one because it focuses on gratitude, which I have found is a vital perspective to incorporate for when I catch myself not being mindful!
References
British Society of Lifestyle Medicine (BSLM), (2023). Social prescribing in lifestyle medicine – Of the community by the community. Retrieved from: https://bslm.org.uk/social-prescribing-in-lifestyle-medicine/
Didonna, F. (2009). Clinical Handbook of Mindfulness; 26 chapters. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-09593-6
Kuan, T. (2007). Mindfulness in early Buddhism : New approaches through psychology and textual analysis of Pali, Chinese and Sanskrit sources. Florence, UNITED STATES: Routledge.
Kuyken, W. (2023). University of Oxford Mindfulness Research Centre. Retrieved from the University of Oxford at: https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/research/mindfulness
Lawrence, B. (2004). The Practice of the Presence of God.
Tripathy, R. R., (2018). Anthropology, 6:4. Retrieved from: DOI: 10.4172/2332-0915.100020