By Vivienne Hill
Over the past few years the idea of living mindfully and mindfulness practice has gained in popularity, particularly in relation to learning how the mind and body work together in situations of stress and anxiety.
Mindfulness means “Paying attention, in a particular way, on purpose and non-judgementally”.
Mindfulness is something you learn about a lot better by practicing rather than by reading about although there are of course many books and research papers you can look at if you want to. We all know that having regular physical exercise improves physical health. In the same way having regular mental exercise can improve your mental health.
The benefits of a regular Mindfulness practice, which could take as little as 10 minutes a day, are numerous including:
- Reduction in anxiety, depression and exhaustion
- Improvement to working memory, creativity and attention span
- Enhanced brain function and ability to focus
- Improved self awareness in relation to others and the environment
For more information please see the following links:
One way of reducing tension is to do a body scan. Here is a videoclip that you may find useful.