Why Mindfulness?

Why Mindfulness

“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky. Conscious breathing is my anchor.” Thich Nhat Hanh

Neuroscience researchers have found if we practice mindfulness meditation every day for as little as five minutes a day for eight weeks, there is a measurable difference that shows up on brain scans. It takes three weeks to create new pathways in the brain. (Dan Siegel, M.D.) However, they also tell us that if we do not continue to practice our new habits, those pathways disappear, and we fall into old habits. A daily practice influences the way you experience each day. It empowers you to create the life you wish to live consciously.

Why Mindfulness and Aging

Mindfulness practices can be especially beneficial in coping with aging changes because they promote accepting and allowing to decrease anxiety and fear. We learn to flow with what is and respond to it, guided by our values instead of reacting impulsively or mindlessly, aging our way.  

Mindfulness practices naturally result in a more open heart. With an open heart, we can listen, feel and see others with less judgment. gratitude and forgiveness naturally flow. Mindfulness creates an unattached way of sharing our beliefs. Not that we stop believing or caring, but instead, we can release the need to be correct and can listen to the perspective of others without needing to defend ourselves. This open-hearted attitude is helpful for elder activists.

I find it very helpful to relate to and accept my aging body and pay attention to body sensations with curiosity instead of judgment and fear. I replace my younger critic voice of harshness and criticism with acceptance and appreciation.  

Each lesson has many activities, journal questions, and mindfulness practices. You have the opportunity to explore and try out many different activities. By the end of the lessons, you will find what works best for you and your lifestyle. Through this process, you will be able to design routines that work for you to continue for a lifetime of mindful wellbeing.

What is a practice? Practice is an activity that you perform routinely to establish a habit. Some of the practices developed can be done weekly or daily to maintain repetitive actions on a greater wellbeing path. It is easy to get lost in the stuff of life; when we have a practice, it reminds us of who we are and pulls us back into awareness with a useful perspective on life. Some say, “your life becomes what you do every day.” Weekly I make a sensory journey in nature or a savoring experience to enhance my body awareness and gratitude for life. I journal regularly; I have combined my contemplative and gratitude journals into one. As you go through these lessons, you will find practices and activities you love and want to keep doing. There will be some that don’t resonate with you or your lifestyle. You can have a routine for a busy day that may be just the five-minute mindfulness meditation. On normal days you can have a simple routine that takes longer. An important thing to remember, do not judge yourself if you miss doing your practice; simply get back on track. By placing to remember, you create a habit of returning to your routine after losing it for a while.

There are many gifts to having a routine of practices:

·         The gift of self-care: Whenever we pay attention to ourselves, it sends a message to our mind, body, and spirit that we are valuable and what we do matters. Self-care builds resilience. It develops a stronger connection to our body, opening our hearts for more love and compassion.

·         The gift of grounding: A routine connects me to life and gives me a feeling of being rooted. The quietness connects me to my intuition so I can move through life with more clarity and purpose. Decision-making becomes easier when made in the peace of being grounded in a breath.

·         The Gift of Space: Making space for a routine in life is your gift to yourself. Space is a concept I am going to talk more about as we go through the lessons. Through a deeper understanding of space, I have gained a deeper experience of presence and awakening. When I take the time to make space for a daily and weekly practice, I begin to appreciate the power of space; the space between thoughts, the space in my everyday life dedicated to stillness, space for oneness with life itself. I make space in my life at night sitting on the lanai under a sky of stars, moon, and sometimes a sky of clouds and darkness. It is all good.

Starting the Journey

·      The Introduction Page of each lesson is your guide for activities, practices, and insights. To help you with journaling, The contemplative questions, a quote, poetry, and stories will give you insights and writing triggers.

·         Lesson One includes a Five-minute Breath guided meditation by Diana Winston, U.C.L.A. Mindfulness Project. First, listen and follow her directions each day for five minutes. Then, when you feel comfortable meditating without her directions, you can sit for five minutes or more each day.

·         Lesson One gives you exercises for each of your five senses and recommendations for a savoring experience. See which ones you love and repeat one for each sense each day, creating a habit of increasing body awareness.

·         Answer the journal questions from each lesson to get started with journaling.

·         Try all the practices for each lesson. Then find the ones you love and repeat them every day to create a mindfulness habit.