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Mindfulness Meditation:


Improve Your Overall Health and Well-Being


By MJ Allen, MS I


ncreasingly, we live in a stressful world. We have become a culture of embracing the notion of multi-tasking. You fold laundry while keeping one eye on the kids and another on the television. You plan your day while listening to the radio and commuting to work and then plan your weekend. But in the rush to accomplish necessary tasks, you may fi nd yourself losing your connection with the present moment—missing out on what you’re doing and how you’re feeling. Did you notice whether you felt well-rested this morning or that forsythia is in bloom along your route to work? Do you often feel stressed or stretched so thin you can't imagine one more thing being added to your plate? Do you run from one thing to another, eating on the go arriving at your next destination thinking, "I don't even remember driving here?"


Despite originating in Eastern contemplative traditions, today, meditation has gained a foothold in both American popular culture and scientifi c research. In the U.S., many meditative practices have expanded beyond their reputation as stress-relieving exercises and have been increasingly introduced by researchers as interventions for various psychological and behavioral disorders. Mindfulness Meditation, in particular, has promised a myriad of health benefi ts for children and adults alike. Whether pursued as a clinical inter- vention or as a systematic method toward self-development and personal insight, mindfulness meditation may be able to address a wide range of health issues. Here we take a look at some of these benefi ts.


What Is Mindfulness Meditation? Mindfulness is a common English word that simply means


"paying attention." John Kabat-Zinn's (former Director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at University of Massachusetts Medical Center) condensed defi nition is "paying attention in a particular way; on purpose, in the present moment and nonjudgmentally."


Mindfulness meditation does not consist of any special ideolo- gies or belief systems. Rather, it harnesses the innate human capac-


26 Essential Living Maine ~ July/August 2017


ity for self-awareness and attentiveness. Even stopping what you are doing for a couple of minutes to bring attention to your bodily sensations, breathing and thought patterns qualifi es as a valuable act of mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation is far from being a passive practice and it demands mental discipline, intention and wakefulness on the part of the meditator. Part of this discipline involves adopting a non-judgmental attitude towards thoughts and emotions, which means observing them objectively and without becoming absorbed and unconsciously reacting to their content. It is also important to observe internal sensations without trying to change whatever is present, including potentially diffi cult thoughts and feelings.


Kabat-Zinn helped to bring the practice of mindfulness medi- tation into mainstream medicine and demonstrated that practicing mindfulness can bring improvements in both physical and psycho- logical symptoms, as well as positive changes in health attitudes and behaviors.


Mindfulness Improves Wellbeing Increasing your capacity for mindfulness supports many at- titudes that contribute to a satisfi ed life. Being mindful helps you become fully engaged in activities, makes it easier to savor the pleasures in life as they occur and creates a greater capacity to deal with adverse events. By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice mindfulness fi nd that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past. They are less preoccupied with concerns about success and self- esteem and are better able to form deep connections with others.


Mindfulness Improves Physical Health If greater well-being isn’t enough of an incentive, scientists


have discovered the benefi ts of mindfulness techniques also help improve physical health in a number of ways. Mindfulness can:


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