Issue 13: Mindfulness
THE LEAP
BY QUANTUM ORANGE
GROW, EXPAND & EVOLVE
ISSUE 13 | MINDFULNESS
Each week The (Quantum) Leap summarises a key aspect of success into what you need to Think, Feel and Do to create a personal shift.
Nothing can harm you as much as your own thoughts unguarded.
~ Buddha
THINK
Ruminating on the past or worrying about the future adds unnecessary stress to your life. Choosing to concentrate on the present moment (mindfulness) will allow you to refocus, gather your energy and regain balance.
Mindfulness involves consciously connecting with yourself and your here-and-now experience of the world. It trains your mind to observe what’s going on from moment to moment, both within your body and the world around you. Jon Kabat-Zinn, a world authority on the use of mindfulness, calls it the “art of conscious living.”
Begin by sitting down and breathing deeply. Focus on each breath - feel the sensations in your body, note the sounds, the scents, the temperature, the feeling of air passing in and out of the body.
Then shift your attention to the thoughts and emotions you’re experiencing. Allow them to exist without judging - just explore what comes up and sit with it. Use the opportunity to examine and resolve any challenges.
FEEL
The brain is divided into two hemispheres: left and right. The right prefrontal cortex is highly active when we are depressed and anxious, the left prefrontal cortex when we are happy and energetic. The ratio of left to right activity indicates our happiness set-point throughout the day.
What happens when we practice mindfulness meditation?
We experience a significant increase in left brain activity.
Jon Kabat-Zinn and Richard Davidson ran a study that had participants complete one hour of mindfulness meditation each day for eight weeks. At the end of the program, participants showed a significant increase in left brain activity, which was still present four months later.
To put it simply - mindfulness significantly increases our happiness, right down to a physical level.
Practice the mindfulness meditation included below and notice the difference in how you feel!
DO
The pace of daily life can make it tricky to fit in long meditations, so it’s important to have a few mindfulness exercises you can complete quickly as you go about your day.
- Walking meditation. Spend 10-15 minutes walking as slowly as you possibly can, focusing on the sensations in your body. Note the feel of your muscles moving, the texture of the flooring, the tiny bones at play in your feet, the subtle movements that allow you to maintain balance.
- 333. Observe three things you can see, three things you can hear and move three parts of your body. Stay present to the experience of all nine things.
- Light a candle (or a fire if you can) and breathe deeply while you watch the flames flicker and dance.
- Wash up! Feel the warmth of the water on your hands, the slippery soap on your skin, the contrast of the hard kitchenware. Can you smell the dish liquid?
- 5 minute breathing meditation. Set a timer for five minutes, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Feel the air enter and expand your lungs and diaphragm. Pay attention to every breath - breathing in calm and breathing out stress. If your thoughts wander, just gently guide them back to your breath. When your timer goes off, take one last deep, cleansing breath and move on with your day.
