Mindfulness

Learn how to control your mind than letting your mind control you.

Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally.

Mindfulness is about training your mind to be in the here and then now. It helps people make a radical shift in their relationship to their thoughts feelings and bodily sensations which all contribute to depression and anxiety

So the main aim is training your mind to listen to you rather than your mind running away with you. Starting to learn how to control your mind by bringing it back to the present moment.

Exercise 1: Fruit

Pick an object in your room such as an ornament or a fruit, an apple.

Take the object and hold it in the palm of your hand or between your fingers and your thumb. Paying attention to just seeing it. As if you're seeing it for the first time

Look at this object is if you've never seen such a thing before.

Turn it over in your hand.

Explore its texture with your fingers.

Examine the highlights where the light shines on it...the darker hollows and folds.

Let your eyes explore every part of it as if you've never seen such a thing before.

And if while we are doing this any thoughts come to mind about 'what a strange thing we are doing'or what is the point of this or I don't like this, then just 'notice the thoughts and bring your awareness back to the object.

And now take the object and hold it beneath your nose Carefully see what you notice , does it have a smell.

And now bring your attention back to just looking at it again.

Now slowly take me up to your mouth and maybe noticing how your hand and Arm know exactly where to put it, perhaps noticing what happens in your mouth as it comes up.

And then gently place the object in your mouth, noticing how it is received without biting, just explore the sensations of having it in your mouth.

Now explore the object with your tongue, noticing the sensations as you move it around your mouth.

Slowly chewing it, noticing what's happening in the mouth, the change in the consistency of the object.

And then when you feel ready to swallow, see if you can detect the intention to swallow as this comes up so that this is experienced before swallowing it.

You now have experienced something amazing. Mindfulness!

Exercise 2: Washing Up

When washing up you can notice the temperature of the water, how it feels on the skin, the texture of the bubbles on the skin, and yes we might even hear the bubbles as they softly pop. The sound of the water as we take out and put dishes into the water. The smoothness of the plate, and just a note to seeing what we might not normally notice.

Exercise 2: Walking

Mindful walking brings new pleasure. walking is something most of us do it some point during the day. We can practise mindful walking just for a few minutes at a time during the day.

Rather than be in our heads we can look around and notice the things that we can see around us, the sounds that we can hear. We might notice sensations in our body just through the act of walking. Thoughts may intrude but we can just notice them and then bring our attention back to our walking