Mindfulness & Meditation
Mindfulness through the practice of meditation aims to explore one’s internal mental, emotional and physical processes toward greater self-understanding and wisdom. The goal is neither set nor linear. Instead, any moment can be significant, enabling sensations and experiences to be infused with warmth—and kindness to oneself and to others.
Five reasons to practice mindfulness/meditation:
Understanding pain, whether mental or physical, so it cannot take over or derail one’s life
Connecting better to give full attention to one’s family, friends and coworkers
Lowering stress and reducing the chance of worsening illnesses or other negative outcomes
Focusing on the mind and increasing the ability to focus better
Reducing brain chatter to quiet distracting, inner voices
Basic mindfulness/meditation steps include:
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- Setting aside time and space, preferably every day
- Observing the present moment as it is
- Making a mental note of judgments and then letting them roll by
- Being kind to the wandering mind, without judgement, and returning to observing the present moment as it is
Anyone can practice mindfulness/meditation by paying purposeful attention, in the present moment—without judgement—of sensory experiences or states of mind through thoughts and emotions. While the practice may be simple, it is not easy. The effort is to keep it up so benefits can accrue over time.
Age-appropriate meditation
For preschoolers → Teaching preschool children the basics of mindfulness by drawing on the elements of nature
For young children → Helping children through a simple practice, called “Coming Back to the Positive,” notice what has gone well and see what happens next
For tweens and teens → Teaching a simple meditation that uses counting breaths to improve mood, cultivate mindful awareness and decrease mind wandering and negative thought loops
Learn more about Mind-Body Therapies offered at CFI…