“Mindfulness meditation”. This is a term that we heard very little about a few years ago. However, it is now a practice that is gaining in popularity, particularly because of the benefits attributed to it in controlling stress and anxiety symptoms. In what follows, we discuss mindfulness meditation, its effects on our bodies, and tips for practicing it on a daily basis.
Mindfulness Meditation: What is it?
Mindfulness meditation is a beneficial approach to combat feelings related to stress and anxiety. Indeed, we tend to live at a frenetic pace while dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. This prevents us from being aware of the present moment, current sensations and emotions, which is detrimental to our well-being.
Thus, the principle of mindfulness is to focus on the present moment in order to be in full contact with our thoughts, emotions and environment. In this way, we seek to avoid being distracted and overwhelmed by negative emotions related to what could happen or what has happened in the past. By focusing in particular on the sensations captured by our 5 senses in the present moment, we can better avoid or drive away negative thoughts.
Thus, mindfulness meditation consists most of the time in stopping and taking the time to focus on our emotions and sensations of the present moment, especially by taking deep breaths. Mindfulness can be practiced in a more formal way, i.e. during moments reserved for meditation (while sitting, while walking, during a sports activity such as yoga). However, mindfulness meditation can be practiced in a more informal way, as a way of approaching activities and tasks of daily life.
Effects of Breathing on the Parasympathetic Nervous System
Deep, slowed breathing is an important principle of mindfulness meditation. Indeed, when we slow down our breathing, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system. The latter is linked to a relaxation response in our body: the heart rate and breathing rhythm are slowed down. Thus, when practicing mindfulness meditation, focusing on breathing helps to decrease the stress signals sent to the body.
This is why breathing is an integral part of many types of meditation, as well as activities such as yoga and tai chi, which aim to increase awareness of our body.
The benefits of mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation can have many benefits for physical and psychological well-being, including:
- Helping to cope with stressful episodes and controlling anxiety symptoms;
- By controlling negative emotions, depressive episodes, panic attacks, etc. ;
- By reducing certain physical symptoms related to stress (headaches, digestive discomfort, sleep disturbance, fatigue, etc.);
- By improving attention and concentration;
- By controlling the symptoms of chronic pain;
- By reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.
How to practice mindfulness meditation?
Several breathing exercises can be practiced in mindfulness meditation. In addition to these, here are some tips for integrating mindfulness into daily activities:
- When you have a moment of waiting (queuing at the store, traffic in the car, etc.), focus your attention on your breathing in order to control or slow it down. Avoid turning your attention to your cell phone, changing radios, etc.
- During daily activities (meal preparation, shower, etc.), take the time to become aware of the sensations felt by your 5 senses at the present moment. What do you see? What do you feel? What textures can you touch?
- When you eat, focus your attention on tastes, smells and textures.
- When faced with a stressful situation, take the time to focus on negative emotions and identify them to help you let go and not cling to them.
- Knowing how you feel when faced with a frustrating or stressful event can help you avoid reacting impulsively.
In short, the principle of mindfulness meditation is to stop and become aware of the present moment, the environment and sensations. Combined with breathing exercises, this can be very beneficial to better control stress, related negative emotions and their effects on health!
Approuvé par Francis Desjardins
