Mindfulness: The benefits of mindfulness for physical & mental health

 

​​Mindfulness​   The benefits of mindfulness for physical & mental health		​​August 1st / 2023​   By: Alissa Fast
​​What is Mindfulness​?  ​​ Mindfulness means to be in the present moment, in the here-and-now, with an accepting attitude and open mind. It can be practiced everyday within activities like cooking, meditating or walking.  ​It is a practice tool we can all use to help calm the mind!  ​Mindfulness is made up of two key ingredients, which are – Awareness and Acceptance.   ​Awareness is the ability to focus your attention on the experience of the present moment. To practice mindful awareness, simply: Give your full attention to whatever it is that you’re doing. If your attentions drifts away, try to bring it back to the present moment.  ​Acceptance is the ability to pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them. It is to observe and accept each thought. And simply seeing each situation for what it is.   ​​		​​BENEFITS​
		​​ANXIETY​   Combining mindfulness and acceptance can help people change their relationship and response to anxious thoughts and feelings.  ​​DEPRESSION​   Mindfulness can be used to help cope with the negative emotions, behaviors, and thoughts that accompany depression

​Mindful Walking​   ​​The benefits of meditation walks​   ​​Mindful walking is a technique that has endless benefits for your physical and mental health. It can help with being more grounded, balanced and aware of your own body and thoughts. It is an easy way to incorporate being mindful in your daily routine.  ​While you’re walking, focus on what your body is doing. Do your arms sway with each step? Is your breathing changing? Become more focused on your surroundings. Try your best to open all your senses.   ​There are so many different benefits from walking mindfully, including – blood circulation and improvement of digestion!  ​ Walking mediation can be used for people who spend a long period of time sitting down. This practice can get all the blood flowing to your legs and helps alleviate negative feelings.   ​Walking after eating is a fantastic way to boost your digestion. It can help you feel less heavy and may also prevent constipation!  ​If you’re tight on time and want to do something good for yourself today, just go for a 10-minute mindful walk, breathe in all the fresh air and experience the benefits that it will give to your body.  ​​

​​Mindful Eating​   Eat the rainbow    ​​ We should try our best to find opportunities to infuse our cooking time with mindfulness. One way we can do this is by “Eating the rainbow.” This is an easy way to make eating more exciting and visually appealing.   Be aware of the colours going on to your plate. Try your best to make it look pretty, like a piece of artwork. Enjoying the food that we put on our plate is so important! As a bonus, eating the rainbow is more than just visually appealing. It also ensures that you are receiving a large variety of nutrients! A crucial part of mindfulness is enjoying the beauty in the simple things in life.  Like, the food we eat every day.  ​What is the purpose of mindfulness?  ​The goal of mindfulness is to practice perspective on your consciousness to bring a greater peace mentally and overall well- being of your body.  ​Try being mindful today!​

 

​​Want to try a mindfulness app? ​

Try Smiling mind.   A daily mindfulness and meditation guide. Free programs for children and adults. Download and see for yourself! It is available on Google Play and the Apple App Store!  “Be kind to your mind and take a moment to meditate.”  Smiling Mind: Meditation App on the App Store (apple.com)  Smiling Mind: Meditation App - Apps on Google Play