What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness has become a hot topic in mental health. We hear about it often through magazines, podcasts and new apps – but have you ever stopped to discover what it is?
Mindfulness is being fully present in the moment, being aware of your thoughts, feelings, sensations and the world around you. Mindfulness can help many people by relieving stress, anxiety, and calming our thoughts, which can have a significant impact on your happiness and mental health.
Mark Laynesmith from the University of Reading Chaplaincy Centre explains more about his practice in mindfulness, details of an 8-week course you can try at home, and a three-minute mindfulness exercise.
Learning mindfulness in a time of crisis
For several years I’ve been teaching mindfulness classes on campus. Most who attend are seeking to deal with anxiety. I recognise the feelings: the rising panic, the inability to concentrate, the awful physical feelings of pounding head and heart, disrupted sleep, obsessive thoughts. All of this happens in ‘normal’ life – but for many of us, these feelings are worse at the moment.
Mindfulness can take the edge off and give us a greater sense of control. Meditations usually focus on the breath or the body, or an external stimulus. The aim is to take us away from the mind and its worries and back into the senses.
For a quick try, here’s a three-minute mindfulness exercise. Notice how you feel before and after doing it.
If you’d like to join other students in real-time, I’ll be running an 8-week course online. It’ll begin on Thursday 23rd April, 3-4 pm.
The course will gradually teach you how to live mindfully through daily meditation exercises of 10-20 minutes. You will learn more about your emotions and how to be OK with yourself. It won’t always be easy, and it will take practice.
The weekly group sessions will take place on Zoom and involve viewing a presentation, practising the coming week’s meditations together, and splitting up into smaller breakout rooms for sharing/reflection and mutual support.
We’ll be using a book which you can buy if you wish, but the meditations are all free online. There are also Android and Apple apps which accompany the course.
If you’d like to join me in learning, email chaplaincy@reading.ac.uk to register for free, the course will start on Thursday 23rd April and will continue on Thursdays for eight weeks.
Revd Dr Mark Laynesmith
(Anglican Chaplain)
Further reading and resources
Life Tools Blackboard course – you can listen to a recorded mindfulness practice on the Life Tools blackboard page
Headspace – app for meditation and mindfulness
Mindful.org – Information and guidance on mindfulness
Calm blog and app – helpful resources and app for use at home.