Mindfulness & Meditation

what is mindfulness?

Mindfulness, to me, is a super power. It is being fully present in the moment - however that moment is right now (pleasant, uncomfortable, joyful, painful, etc.) - with awareness, acceptance, compassion, kindness, curiosity, and non-judgment. 

Learning to be mindful can help you feel alive, and also, to just feel whatever you’re feeling. Mindfulness helps you be less reactive to unpleasant thoughts, emotions, and stressors in your life. It also helps you respond to them in a thoughtful, intentional, and values-based way, which can make you feel more in control overall.

How do i practice mindfulness?

I teach clients to practice mindfulness in two ways: informal or day-to-day mindfulness and mindfulness meditation. 

Informal Mindfulness Practice

Informal mindfulness is paying attention to any activity you’re engaging in, and being in tune with your 5 senses. Truly seeing what you’re doing, listening to the sounds, smelling the fragrances, touching the textures, and tasting any flavors present. You can do this while eating, drinking, doing the dishes, folding the laundry, taking a shower, walking, or holding a pen (or any other object/person/animal).

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is done with the intention of setting aside time specifically to practice mindfulness. You can set aside 1, 5, 10, 30, or 60 minutes to do the practice (or any amount of time you wish). During this time you pick one thing to mindfully observe and attend to. This can be your breath as it goes in and out, a body part (or multiple physical sensations as you “scan” your body), an emotion, a phrase, an image, or once again, any of your 5 senses. As you practice being mindful, your mind will naturally wander. This is normal. This is what your mind does. It is not “bad” or “wrong.” The practice of mindfulness is in returning or shifting your attention purposefully. So every time you notice it wander, you’re practicing gently and kindly bringing it back to whatever it is you were being mindful of. 

How long should i practice mindfulness?

It is more beneficial to practice mindfulness consistently on a regular basis, rather than for a prolonged amount of time infrequently. Practicing mindfulness is like training a muscle in your brain to shift attention wherever you want to direct it. Like any other muscle, it takes time to develop and will be more difficult at first. One of the most difficult things in learning to practice mindfulness is remembering to do it. Start by setting yourself an alert on your phone, a reminder post-it, and/or try to do it at the same time every day. It doesn’t matter what time you choose to do it (you can try it out initially at different times to see what works best for you), but long term, it will be helpful to remember to do it at the same time daily to make it a regular habit.

what is mindfulness-informed therapy?

There are many different ways to integrate mindfulness into therapy. Some clinicians use mindfulness interchangeably with meditation, while others go into the nuts and bolts of what everything means. I take my cue from my clients! If you want to learn to meditate, I can support you in that practice with different types of exercises and weekly accountability. If you want to try it out once in session, I’m happy to facilitate a practice. And if you just want to be more mindful in your day to day life, we can talk about how you can develop that skill and what it entails.

To learn more about mindfulness-based therapy, read my blog post here.

Do i have to go to therapy to learn mindfulness?

No! There are many ways to learn to be more mindful or to create a meditation practice. For starters, if you read the information on this page, you’re ready to start practicing!

However, if you’d like more structured guidance, detailed explanations, and specific video and audio exercises, consider purchasing a course or phone app. I created my own Mindfulness Micro-Practice Toolkit to help people get started with mindfulness right away with 3-minute videos. If you are considering therapy with me, this course can also give you an idea of my general style before you ever schedule a session. Please note that the course is not intended to replace therapy and is only for educational purposes. You can use it as a tool to easily integrate mindfulness and/or meditation into your life.

For other free and paid mindfulness and meditation resources, check out my Favorite Links.

For a personalized approach to mindfulness and meditation or for mindfulness-informed therapy, contact me for a free 15-minute phone consultation.