We’re sharing the secret to mindfulness this week. Dr. Rob has some of the most simple and distilled pieces of advice when it comes to meditating; including why most people end up quitting (when they shouldn’t)!
https://youtu.be/6Xqr_3fFgUg
What does mindfulness really mean?
Mindfulness is an all encompassing term that refers to ‘being present’ which is a large component of meditation.
Being present can mean paying attention to our thoughts as they pass through our brains or actually listening to the sound of the furnace rattling instead of just hearing it. Being mindful and present feels especially powerful in the digital age where there are a million and one things to distract us all the time.
It’s easy to become consumed by everything around us that it’s hard to pay attention. Incorporating mindfulness or meditation into your day can help you feel more ‘centered’ and connected to the here and now.
If you decide to start meditating (which you should!!) it’s not about just knowing you’re hearing things, seeing things, and thinking things. It’s about doing all those things without judgement, turning off that judging narrative in your head can help you get more closely in tune with the things around you and even yourself!
Being more in tune with things mean you might enjoy those things so much more! Instead of drinking your coffee while scrolling through emails and watching TV you’re actually enjoying and appreciating the coffee you’re drinking.
If we have convinced you to whip out your gold tasseled pillow to start meditating every day we want to share with you the most common mistakes people make when they start meditating!
Judging Yourself:
It’s common to judge yourself when you’re really acknowledging your thoughts. People think that meditating has to be a purely focused, and thoughtless amount of time, but part of meditation is being mindful of your active mind. Like Dr. Rob said we have a thought every 3.3 seconds, so it;s normal to have a lot of thoughts. Acknowledge them and add Dr. Rob’s simple “I notice that I’m thinking about ____” in front of the thought and move on. Clearing your mind is a constant and active part of meditation.
Meditating When You’re Tired:
When you’re sleepy at the end of the day and you close you eyes to meditate your body is going to automatically switch into sleep mode. It will make it hard to focus. It’s best to meditate when you’re fully awake or after you exercise to maximize the benefits!
Not Practicing Consistently:
Meditation is called a practice because it takes practice! Like anything, the more you do it the better you’ll get at it and the more benefits you’ll get. If you try to meditate once a month it will be just as hard every time and you won’t get the same amazing benefits!
Thinking it’s Easy:
Sitting and doing nothing SOUNDS easy, but in reality trying to quiet your mind, especially when you’re used to letting your brain run wild all day, can be HARD.
This is where we tie back to not judging yourself. If your mind wanders to your to-do list when you’re meditating, it’s easy to fall into a harsh judgement of ourselves It’s important to be kind to yourself during your learning process and guide yourself back to meditation. After a lot of practice your brain ‘chatter’ will still be there but is easier to push aside.
So have you tried meditating? Tell us about how you meditate at your next appointment! Some great resources for mindfulness and meditation can be found on https://www.sharonsalzberg.com/
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