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Mindfulness: A Technical Guide

Vocabulary

anchor chest breathing belly breathing

Overview

Mindfulness is the practice of focus. This practice has numerous research-backed benefits, including improved stress resilience, greater mental clarity, and an overall increase in feelings of well-being.

The practitioner may think of mindfulness as a muscle, and like any muscle, it can be trained. The stronger this muscle becomes, the more benefits the practioner experiences. And just like weight training at the gym, the key to improvement is regular practice. This document will provide you with a bare-bones (and 100% secular) guide for getting started with your own mindfulness practice.

Anchors

Mindfulness meditation is commonly seen as a Buddhist tradition of sitting on a cushion with the eyes closed, but this is just one of the many ways to practice. Mindfulness can be practiced sitting, lying down, and even walking. The underlying common denominator of this practice is: a consistent mental focus on an object. I will refer to this object from now on as the anchor. Anchors include (but are not limited to):

  • Your breath
  • Your feet, used in walking meditation
  • Your hands, useful for manual tasks, such as washing dishes
  • Your entire body, otherwise known as a body scan

Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere, but it is ideally practiced in a calm and quiet setting. One of the core benefits of this practice is the calming of the nervous system, and this is best achieved in an environment with minimal distractions and stressors.

Breathing

Whether or not you use your breath as the anchor, correct breathing is essential to an effective meditation practice. Without conscious awareness the breath often becomes shallow and quick. This type of breathing is called chest breathing and it physiologically reinforces anxiety and stress.

Correct breathing can also be called diaphragmatic breathing, or belly breathing. This type of breathing is:

  • Slow
  • Deep, originating in the stomach
  • Physically relaxing

You may not control your mind, but you do control your breath. This is where much of the power of meditation comes from.

Examples

As previously mentioned, there is not one right way to practice mindfulness. The following 2 examples are intended to illustrate the use of an anchor in 2 different contexts: sitting meditation and walking meditation.

Sitting Meditation

  1. Sit in a comfortable and upright position. You may sit on a mat or a regular chair, but it is important to sit with your back straightened. Do not slouch.
  2. Shift your attention to your breathing. Watch your breath go in and out. Take note of how you are breathing. Is it deep or shallow? Are you breathing from your stomach, or from you chest?
  3. Begin to slowly and deliberately deepen your breath. Shift from chest breathing to belly breathing. Continue to focus on your in-breath and out-breath.
  4. Continue for 10-15 minutes. If your focus shifts away from your breathing (and it will), gently return your attention to your breath.

Walking meditation

This practice is best done in an enclosed environment or in a natural setting, such as a hiking trail).

  1. Stand upright. You may hold your hands clasped in front of you if you find this comfortable.
  2. Begin walking slowly and deliberately. Focus on the movement of your legs and feet.
  3. Bring your attention to your breath as well. Gradually, shift from chest breathing to belly breathing as you continue to focus on your steps.
  4. Continue for 10-15 minutes. If your focus shifts away from your walking (and it will), gently return your attention to your walking.

FAQ

Isn't the point of meditation to stop thinking? My mind continues to race when I practice. I think I'm bad at meditation.

This is one of the most common misconceptions of practicing mindfulness. The goal is not to stop your thinking, but to become a calm and gentle observer of it. Over time, you will begin to see your own mental and emotional patterns with greater clarity and understanding. However, you cannot stop your own thinking any more than you can stop your heart from beating, so don't even try.

I noticed that I have really awful and negative thoughts. Does this mean I'm a bad person?

You are not your mind. Everybody's mind has unpleasant thoughts. Your job is to observe your thoughts, calmly and without judgment. Unless you act on your painful thoughts by causing yourself and others harm, you have nothing to worry about.

I meditate for an hour a day! May I now stop seeing my therapist/taking my medication/going to the gym/sleeping at least 8 hours a night/abstaining from drugs and alcohol?

No. Your mindfulness practice is one tool in your toolkit of well-being. It is not intended to be a one-size-fits-all solution. This is especially true for new practitioners who may initially become overwhelmed by the intensity of their thoughts and feelings. No matter how much you meditate, you will always need healthy food, regular exercise, and loving relationships.