13. Mindfulness

The practice of meditation is thousands of years old yet it’s only relatively recently that it has been the subject of scientific research to investigate its benefits. Often meditation is associated with Eastern spiritual practice and new-ageism, and is easily dismissed as irrelevant by those of a more secular persuasion. Hopefully this chapter will dispel any doubts you may have about meditation, its importance, and in particular its benefits for your health and well-being.

Common misconceptions include thinking meditation is

Mindfulness is a specific type of meditation-based practice which has been gaining in popularity in the Western world over the past 30 or so years. The name perhaps most associated with mindfulness meditation is Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society, at the University of Massachusetts’ Medical School.

Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment and non-judgmentally. Put simply, it’s about being able to tune in to what is happening in and around us in a conscious and purposeful way.

One way to understand mindfulness is to think about its opposite, mindlessness. Mindlessness is about doing things automatically, unconsciously, habitually, without awareness or oblivious to what is happening in and around you. When you stop to think about it, I’m absolutely certain that you will have experienced many moments in which you’ve ‘lived mindlessly’, that is, where you’ve gone on to autopilot and done things automatically, without awareness. A great example is eating. Often we eat without thinking about what we’re doing, without noticing how the food feels or tastes in our mouths, and with no awareness of how full or not we’re feeling before, during or after eating. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been so busy talking that I’ve cleared my plate without consciously tasting much of the food on it! Many of us now eat in front of the TV or while we’re reading, walking or even driving, making it all the more difficult to notice the various physical sensations associated with eating. One of the exercises we’ll practise below is about eating mindfully.

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Five essential steps to mindfulness

  1. Be non-judgmental or impartial
  2. Accept things as they are
  3. Notice thoughts and emotions as they occur
  4. Be fully in the moment
  5. Be observant.

Some people find the concept of mindfulness difficult to grasp, especially if they’ve spent their whole lives focusing on finishing tasks and achieving goals. Others feel guilty about trying to do something which has no obvious target; we’re all so busy these days and few of us can afford to waste time. Fortunately, research suggests that there are many mental and physical benefits associated with practising mindfulness.

How mindfulness helps

Research links mindfulness meditation with a long list of personal and interpersonal benefits including:

My colleague Andy, who has practised and been a trainer in mindfulness for over 10 years, says, ‘The more I practise the more I feel that magic flows into the present moment and I become less distracted by nagging doubts. By training the mind to focus on what’s in front of you, you become more aware of opportunities to help others and yourself and fully appreciate how precious life is’.

Now let’s start our mindfulness practice with a couple of simple activities.

1. Eating mindfully

Take 5 minutes out of your normal schedule. Find a couple of small snacks or other edible treats, such as pretzels, small pieces of cereal, chocolate or raisins. You also need a quiet place to sit.

First of all, eat one of your chosen snacks in your normal fashion. Then pick up a second one and go through the following steps. Take your time, don’t rush.

  1. Start by looking carefully at it. Imagine that you have never seen a pretzel or a raisin before. Notice its colour and texture, turn it over carefully and slowly in your hand. Notice how its colour changes as the light catches it. Notice the fine grains of salt on the pretzel, or the crinkles on the surface of the raisin. Sniff it. What odour can you detect? Imagine eating the pretzel or raisin, imagine putting it in your mouth. Notice how your mouth starts to water at the mere thought of eating it. If at any point you start thinking ‘Why am I doing this?’ or ‘This is a waste of time’, acknowledge these as thoughts. Then return your attention to the object.
  2. Having observed the snack closely from every angle, put it in your mouth but don’t eat it just yet. What is the first sensation you notice? Is it taste or touch? How does the snack feel as you roll it around your mouth?
  3. Now start to bite into or chew the snack. How does it feel when you bite into it for the first time? Do you get a satisfying crunch, or a soft chewy sensation? Notice the taste – is it a single flavour or a combination? Is it salty, sweet or both? Take your time, imagining that you must make it last forever.
  4. Finally, swallow, noticing any aftertaste or other sensations in your mouth.
  5. Having eaten the snack, how do you feel? How did it feel to eat the snack mindfully?

Now compare this with your experience of eating the first snack. Often, the first time people eat mindfully, they cannot believe how different it is to their normal experience of eating and how much enjoyment can be squeezed out of one tiny piece of food. You can do the same thing with drinking – a small glass of your favourite beer, wine or fruit juice will be just as effective for starting your mindfulness practice.

2. Sitting mindfully

Find yourself a comfortable place to sit and relax for 5 minutes. If at any point your mind wanders (it is very likely to), acknowledge your thoughts and return your attention calmly and without judgment to the exercise.

  1. Rest your hands loosely on your lap. Plant your feet firmly on the ground and sit forward, don’t slouch. Tuck your chin in slightly. Take a couple of deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, then shut your eyes. Notice how the chair, bench or log you’re sitting on feels underneath you. How do your legs and feet feel?
  2. As you sit with your eyes closed, notice the sounds around you. What can you hear? A ticking clock? The distant noise of traffic? Rain on the window? Birdsong? The hum of the fridge? A dog barking? Silence? Pay attention to whatever you can hear, noticing the quality, pace and tone of the sounds as they come and go.
  3. As you sit with your eyes closed, notice any smells – perhaps it’s your own perfume or aftershave you notice first; or the smell of mown grass or cut flowers in a vase; or the waft of cooking or baking from your kitchen; or the whiff of cigarette smoke from a passer-by. Register all the different smells.
  4. Notice how your body feels as you sit there. Do you feel warm or cool? If outside, can you feel a breeze or the sunshine on your face? Are you completely relaxed or is there any tenseness in your body, perhaps in your shoulders, neck or back? If so, shake it or stretch it out. How do you feel? What mood are you in? Just notice, without judging.
  5. Finally, notice your breathing (we will do a fuller breathing exercise next). Breathe through your nose. Notice how your breath makes your chest or stomach rise and fall. After a few moments of complete relaxation, take a deep breath, stand up, stretch your body and open your eyes.

Even though you were sitting for 5 minutes at the most, it may have felt like a lot longer. This is one of the unusual features of mindfulness; when you really pay attention to something (it could be eating, breathing, seeing, listening or anything really), it’s as if time slows down.

3. Mindful breathing

If this is the first time you have tried a mindful breathing exercise, allow yourself no longer than 5 minutes. If you can, set an alarm or a timer to remind you when the time is up.

  1. Find a place where you won’t be disturbed. Sit comfortably, placing your hands loosely in your lap, and plant your feet firmly on the ground. Sit forward a little, keep your back straight and tuck your chin in slightly.
  2. Take a couple of deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth, then shut your eyes. Notice how the chair you’re sitting on feels underneath you. How do your legs and feet feel? Notice any other sensations in the body. Are you warm or cool? What can you hear around you? Acknowledge any sounds. Scan your whole body from top to toe, noticing any areas of tension or relaxation.
  3. Now turn your attention to your breath. Breathing normally, notice how each breath feels as it flows in and out. What rising and falling sensations does the breath create? Can you feel it in your chest, stomach, shoulders or somewhere else?
  4. Slowly begin to count, 1 as you inhale, 2 as you exhale, 3 as you inhale, 4 as you exhale and so on, all the way up to 10, before starting from 1 again. Do this silently.
  5. You will notice as you do this that you may become distracted by thoughts as they pop up in your mind. This is perfectly normal. Simply acknowledge the thought and gently bring your awareness back to your breath. Start counting again.
  6. Repeat steps 4–5 until the 5 minutes are over.
  7. Sit quietly for a few moments longer. Thoughts may rush into your mind at this point, or you may feel calm.
  8. Slowly return your attention to how you feel sitting there and when you are ready, open your eyes.

Mindful breathing is at the heart of mindfulness meditation. The point is to notice your thoughts as if from a distance, without getting caught up in what they are about. Mindful breathing is a simple technique, which you can practise pretty much anywhere, but it can be quite hard to begin with. Keep trying!

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