by Diane Masiello

The concept of “mindfulness,” can be traced back to thousand-years-old Buddhist practice and is present not only as part of many world faith systems but also found in a majority of physical and psychological therapeutic practices. The American Psychological Association (APA) defines mindfulness as “a moment-to-moment awareness of one’s experience without judgment.” Empirical studies have shown that mindfulness practices help people regulate their emotions, decrease negative reactions in stressful situations, and allow people who are reacting negatively to recover their equanimity faster. Indeed, people who regularly practice mindfulness—at least ten minutes a day for six months—change their brain’s physical structure and function, so they automatically slip into mindfulness practices when in stressful situations.

All practitioners claim that the first and best way to begin any mindfulness practice is to find a place of relative solitude—a car, a restaurant, a park bench or even a restroom. Silence is ideal but not essential. Then, become fully aware of only the present moment by paying attention to all five senses: name five things you can see, four things you can hear, three things you can physically feel, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste. If you’re outside, observe what is happening around you in the trees, the grass, the flowers or the movements of animals. When thoughts enter your mind—and they always will—simply acknowledge them without judging them and try to draw your focus back to your immediate surroundings. If eating, try to slow down and notice not just the flavor of the food but the texture, the temperature and the smell. Even five minutes of this sort of practice will help build neural pathways that will train you to slow down in times of stress and get distance from what is happening at the moment.

If you do have access to a quiet and safe space, you can start turning that attention inward by closing your eyes, taking deep breaths, and focusing on breathing in and out. Some practitioners, like Joseph Goldstein who has been teaching meditation for almost fifty years, will have students breathe in and out for a count of three to keep focus on the flow of air in and out of the body. However, he emphasizes that part of mindfulness meditation is understanding it will be, at first, almost impossible to focus on the breath without thoughts intruding. This is because, he says, part of meditation is taming the “monkey mind,” a term that comes from Buddhist teaching and refers to the way people’s thoughts tend to restlessly hop around at random.

In acknowledging that your thoughts are not reality—that they are temporary, fluid and subjective rather than concrete, permanent and objective—you will become better able to distance yourself from those thoughts and observe the way they shift and morph. You will be tempted, all the time, to judge those thoughts, but the key is to notice when those judgments creep in and draw yourself back to observing the thought without judging it, then focusing back on the breath. Mindfulness practitioners will sometimes ask their students to envision that they are sitting by a river, breathing in and out, and imagining their thoughts are just drifting by, outside of them. This method of getting distance from the products of that “monkey mind” helps people reframe stressful situations.

As you become more invested in practicing mindfulness, you might try a body scan meditation in which you lay down with your legs straight and arms at your sides with palms up. While breathing steadily, focus on each part of your body, starting with your feet and ending with your head (or vice versa). Some meditation leaders suggest, at first, drawing your attention to each part of the body by tightening the muscles in that part and then releasing them, then focusing on any thoughts, emotions or feelings that emerge from that focus. Those who practice this regularly will tell you that it is a great way to settle yourself for a good night’s sleep—which is one of the best ways to lower stress.