Practice: Mindful Breathing
The awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentaly to the unfolding of experience, moment to moment.
Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is just that—being able to focus on the present moment, whether that be a class assignment, a professor’s lecture, a conversation with a friend, or a beautiful sunset. Life is full of distractions that can draw the attention away from what is important in the here and now.
What is Mindfulness Training?
Mindfulness Training (MT) is a method of training your brain to increase your capacity to be calm, focused, and to be more aware of your present-moment experience. Methods include exercises that help you pay attention to thoughts, sensations, feelings, emotions, and impulses without judging them or trying to make something happen. Sometimes it’s easier to understand mindfulness when you consider its opposite: mindlessness: being inattentive, distracted, acting on impulse, being on “autopilot” without paying attention to what you are doing, and so on. Perhaps you can think of an example of this kind of mindlessness in your own life.
How does it work?
MT@MC runs in 8-week cycles. Each session features a different strategy that may be useful to you, and/or a specific situation. We suggest that you make your way through the training in the same way—one topic per week. As an online learner, you have the option of visiting the sessions more often and longer than you could if you were doing our in-person only version.
Training requires repeated practice over time. Just as you would need to practice lifting weights or running, or shooting hoops to become stronger, so does mindfulness require practice to become stronger at focusing. Think of it as mental push-ups.
It’s helpful to set a time every day, or at least most days, to practice the skills you have learned that week. And with online access, it’s even more important to plan on specific times, since you have more scheduling freedom. It’s easier to put it off if you don’t plan ahead. More practice=greater benefit.
Benefits of MT
The brain changes. Because of neuroplasticity the more we do something, the more the brain grows the ability to do that particular activity—this is called learning.
Learning how to be mindful also improves:
· The ability to concentrate, sustain attention, and notice/refocus
· The working memory
· Emotional balance
and makes us less judgmental of ourselves and others. To find out more, click on this link to see a short video on neuroplasticity.
Getting Started
The basic method is very simple. All you need is a "good seat", attention to your breath, and the willingness to return to your breath when the mind wonders.
A “Good Seat”
Sit tall in a chair with your low back supported and feet flat on the floor. It may mean putting a small pillow at the small of your back, or putting a small stool under your feet to help them reach the floor. Place your torso in a proud position with the shoulders comfortably back and down. It may help to circle the shoulders a few times to loosen up a bit.
Attention to your breath
To start bring your chin to a position level with the floor. If your shoulders are tense, consider reaching just the head backwards as far as it will go, and then letting it return to a position of comfort. This action will usually allow the head come to a neutral position.
Next, start breathing slowly, in and out through your nose with your mouth closed. Nostril breathing has its own health benefits: greater filtering, warming, and moisturizing of the inhaled air. Also, by breathing through the nose, it is much easier to slow the breath. Try inhaling to a slow count of 1-2-3 and exhaling even more slowly to a slower count of 1-2-3-4(- 5 or even -6).
The willingness to return to the breath when your mind wonders
Now, sit quietly and breathe. Notice the temperature of the air as it enters and as it exits, or the rise and fall of the chest and belly as you breathe. When you notice that your mind has drifted off to something else, gently bring your thoughts back to the breath.
You concentrate on “present moment awareness”: thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, sensory input, feelings, impulses, whatever comes.
Attitude or approach
Accepting distractions and mind-wandering as an inevitable part of the process
What Mindfulness is Not
Relaxing
About a particular religion or philosophy.
The term "Mindfulness Training" (MT) refers to non-secular practices based on ancient contemplative traditions and verified by modern neuroscience. It isn't Buddhism, Hinduism, yoga, or anything but working toward being a better human being--always a good thing!
Mindfulness is just that—being able to focus on the present moment, whether that be a class assignment, a professor’s lecture, a conversation with a friend, or a beautiful sunset. Life is full of distractions that can draw the attention away from what is important in the here and now.
What is Mindfulness Training?
Mindfulness Training (MT) is a method of training your brain to increase your capacity to be calm, focused, and to be more aware of your present-moment experience. Methods include exercises that help you pay attention to thoughts, sensations, feelings, emotions, and impulses without judging them or trying to make something happen. Sometimes it’s easier to understand mindfulness when you consider its opposite: mindlessness: being inattentive, distracted, acting on impulse, being on “autopilot” without paying attention to what you are doing, and so on. Perhaps you can think of an example of this kind of mindlessness in your own life.
How does it work?
MT@MC runs in 8-week cycles. Each session features a different strategy that may be useful to you, and/or a specific situation. We suggest that you make your way through the training in the same way—one topic per week. As an online learner, you have the option of visiting the sessions more often and longer than you could if you were doing our in-person only version.
Training requires repeated practice over time. Just as you would need to practice lifting weights or running, or shooting hoops to become stronger, so does mindfulness require practice to become stronger at focusing. Think of it as mental push-ups.
It’s helpful to set a time every day, or at least most days, to practice the skills you have learned that week. And with online access, it’s even more important to plan on specific times, since you have more scheduling freedom. It’s easier to put it off if you don’t plan ahead. More practice=greater benefit.
Benefits of MT
The brain changes. Because of neuroplasticity the more we do something, the more the brain grows the ability to do that particular activity—this is called learning.
Learning how to be mindful also improves:
· The ability to concentrate, sustain attention, and notice/refocus
· The working memory
· Emotional balance
and makes us less judgmental of ourselves and others. To find out more, click on this link to see a short video on neuroplasticity.
Getting Started
The basic method is very simple. All you need is a "good seat", attention to your breath, and the willingness to return to your breath when the mind wonders.
A “Good Seat”
Sit tall in a chair with your low back supported and feet flat on the floor. It may mean putting a small pillow at the small of your back, or putting a small stool under your feet to help them reach the floor. Place your torso in a proud position with the shoulders comfortably back and down. It may help to circle the shoulders a few times to loosen up a bit.
Attention to your breath
To start bring your chin to a position level with the floor. If your shoulders are tense, consider reaching just the head backwards as far as it will go, and then letting it return to a position of comfort. This action will usually allow the head come to a neutral position.
Next, start breathing slowly, in and out through your nose with your mouth closed. Nostril breathing has its own health benefits: greater filtering, warming, and moisturizing of the inhaled air. Also, by breathing through the nose, it is much easier to slow the breath. Try inhaling to a slow count of 1-2-3 and exhaling even more slowly to a slower count of 1-2-3-4(- 5 or even -6).
The willingness to return to the breath when your mind wonders
Now, sit quietly and breathe. Notice the temperature of the air as it enters and as it exits, or the rise and fall of the chest and belly as you breathe. When you notice that your mind has drifted off to something else, gently bring your thoughts back to the breath.
You concentrate on “present moment awareness”: thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, sensory input, feelings, impulses, whatever comes.
Attitude or approach
- Non-judging (observe without labeling as right/wrong, good/bad, desirable/undesirabl
- Non-striving (practicing without trying to make something happen
- "I notice that..."
- Tagging experience ("thinking", "worrying", "restless")
Accepting distractions and mind-wandering as an inevitable part of the process
- Refocus each time you notice wondering, over and over again.
- Tag frustration, restlessness, and impatience when it arises.
What Mindfulness is Not
Relaxing
- The aim is calm alertness.
- Sometimes greater awareness of internal experience can spotlight all the "yack" and static that goes on inside your head. If this happens, not to worry. It's normal and will calm with time.
- Mindfulness training has been shown to be beneficial whether you feel it or not.
About a particular religion or philosophy.
The term "Mindfulness Training" (MT) refers to non-secular practices based on ancient contemplative traditions and verified by modern neuroscience. It isn't Buddhism, Hinduism, yoga, or anything but working toward being a better human being--always a good thing!
Check out these short YouTube videos to see how Mindfulness works in the brain:
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Now you give it a try.
- Silence your phone and try to reduce the possibility of any other distractions during your practice.
- Find a tall, comfortable seated position on a chair or on a cushion on the floor against the wall or other surface. Be sure your back is supported.
- Take a few slow breaths in and out.
- Click on either of the following guided practices below to get started. If you are just learning how to practice, try the first (5-minute one), until you get the hang of it.
- When you feel ready, try the second one, a little over 15 minutes.
5 minute Breathing Meditation - (MARC UCLA)
15:22 minute Awareness of Breath (MARC UCLA)
How was that?
It's very common at first to be very distracted. If this is the case for you, try using the short guided practice every day or at least most days the first week. You'll be surprised at how much easier this gets with repetition.
If you are doing MT as a class assignment, download this form to complete and return to your instructor:
mt_at_mc_credit_sheet_for_students.docx | |
File Size: | 14 kb |
File Type: | docx |