The Beginner’s Guide to Mindfulness & Meditation
Meditation and Mindfulness are buzzwords that have gained popularity over the past few years. We’re sure you’ve heard by now that these practices can have life-altering effects on the mind and overall wellness, and we’re here to tell you that it’s all true (or at least the science-backed claims are).
If you’re not convinced, here are some eye-opening insights to inspire you:
A review of 23 studies looking at the effects of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on employee burnout found that 8 weeks of mindfulness training reduced stress, psychological distress, depression, anxiety, emotional exhaustion and occupational stress, and increased self-compassion, relaxation, sleep quality, and a feeling of personal accomplishment.
A review of 23 studies examining the benefits of mindfulness-based programs in the workplace found that following mindfulness training, employees felt less stress, anxiety and psychological distress, and greater well-being and sleep quality.
According to researchers who reanalyzed 33 published articles with 1,549 participants, mindfulness and creativity are definitely related. They found that mindfulness-based interventions focusing on open monitoring may boost creative abilities.
What is Meditation and Mindfulness?
Meditation and Mindfulness are powerful tools and practices that can help ease a racing mind, reconnect with and ground yourself, and help you through life's ups and downs. Meditation and Mindfulness are the practices of giving awareness and attention to what is happening in the present moment and accepting – without judgement – whatever may be arising for you. This can include passing thoughts, emotional responses or even how you’re feeling within your body.
To put it plainly, the ultimate goal is to make the unbearable, bearable – so you can have the strength to keep moving forward.
How can Meditation and Mindfulness Benefit You?
The benefits of Meditation and Mindfulness transcend the boundaries of your life’s compartments – serving you whether you’re looking to improve career performance, enrich relationships with others, increase athletic performance and recovery, or provide yourself with a richer inner life.
Meditation and Mindfulness can help increase mental clarity, resilience and compassion.
How can you practice Meditation & Mindfulness?
Meditation and Mindfulness can take many forms in your life, from actually sitting down to meditate, journaling, making use of affirmations, or simply focusing on your breath. If you need a helping hand to get started, here are some of our favourite ways to incorporate mindfulness into our days:
Meditation
Take a seat and sit with your back tall. If this doesn’t feel comfortable for you, feel free to get into any position that serves you best in the moment – you can even lie down!
Set a time limit for yourself if you’re new to meditation – there’s no pressure to practice for long periods of time, even just 1-3 minutes can be beneficial for your mind and wellbeing.
Let your breath come naturally but notice the sensation as it flows in and out – what part of your body are you breathing into?
Notice when your mind has wandered, but let your thoughts pass without criticism or obsession.
When you’re finished with your practice, gently lift your gaze and take note of how your body and mind feel after allowing yourself space to simply be.
Mindful Journaling
Pull out a pen (we like a pen as it feels like a permanent expelling of thoughts) and a piece of paper – it can be a scrap piece of paper, a journal, your everyday notebook or a post-it.
Start with a journal prompt – some of our favourites are, “What am I grateful for in this present moment?”, “What is one event that happened this week that has stuck in your mind? How did it make you feel?”, and “How can I show up for myself for the rest of the week”.
You don’t need to start with a journal prompt – you can use stream-of-consciousness writing, where you jot down anything and everything that comes to mind for around 3-5 minutes, no breaks, no pauses, just pure thought.
When finished, close your journal and try not to come back to it – this will help to keep thoughts you need to get out of your head from causing mental clutter yet again.
Affirmations
Make use of affirmation cards, or create an affirmation for yourself that feels right for you in the moment.
Sit with your chosen affirmation and reflect – how does it apply to your week or day? How can you use these words as you move through the rest of your week? Can you make a plan to revisit this affirmation throughout your day?
If you’ve pulled an affirmation card, set it up somewhere you can see it throughout your day or week. If you’ve created your own, write it down and do the same or make it the wallpaper on your phone.
Breathwork
There are many different ways you can practice breathwork. Here are some of our favourites:
The Box Breath - Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4 and repeat as many times as needed.
Deep Breathing - Take slow deep breaths to open up your airways. Inhale through your nose and breathe into your belly, then exhale slowly through your nose. Repeat 3-5 times.
Alternate Nostril Breathing - Place your thumb on your right nostril, then inhale slowly through your left nostril. Next, block your left nostril with your ring finger and exhale slowly through your right nostril. Repeat starting by inhaling through your right nostril and continue the pattern 3-4 times
Diaphramaghtic Breath - Place one hand on the belly, the other on the heart and begin to breathe in and out through the nose. On your inhale, expand through the belly, breathing into the diaphragm. On your exhale, contract the belly. Repeat for 3 rounds.
In Conclusion
The most important thing to remember when starting on your meditation and mindfulness journey is that there is no right or wrong way to do this. Feel into what is best for you and go from there. We do recommend starting a routine or ritual for yourself. Routines help us to function in the busy world around us and give us some much-needed structure. Being persistent with your meditation and mindfulness routine gives you the power to process and combat difficult thoughts and emotions as they arise, and reflect back on feelings that have come to pass.
You can only reap the benefits if you sit down and practice.
If you feel as though you need some gentle guidance on your meditation and mindfulness journey, discover some of our favourite resources to get you started: