#58 A Mindfulness Intervention

I have a question for you, when was the last time that you sat quietly and let yourself just "BE?" You didn't revel in the past or plan for the future, you simply existed in the moment. If you are anything like me, it certainly hasn't been often or recent enough. In this blog post, I will share what I have learned about being mindful, the benefits of mindfulness and ways to foster mindfulness at home and work.

Mindfulness can mean different things to different people. For some people, it conjures up ideas of Buddhist monks meditating for hours on end. Others might envision hordes of spandex-clad individuals practicing yoga. In the field of psychology, mindfulness is "being aware of the present moment during our daily activities, including both the world outside us and our inner experiences" (Compton, 2020, p. 121). It is paying attention to our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in the present moment without judgement or reservation. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a leading researcher in the field of mindfulness and founder of the UMass Center for Mindfulness,

Mindfulness is the awareness that arises when we non-judgmentally pay attention in the present moment. It cultivates access to core aspects of our own minds and bodies that our very sanity depends on. [It] includes tenderness and kindness toward ourselves, restores dimensions of our being. These have never actually been missing, just that we have been missing them, we have been absorbed elsewhere. When your mind clarifies and opens, your heart also clarifies and opens.” (Source)

At the center of mindfulness is ATTENTION.  Our attention is limited. We can only consciously focus on one thing at a time. Therefore, if we are focusing on the present moment we cannot focus on the past or the future. This is powerful because we can CHOOSE how and what to direct our attention towards. Mindfulness is a skill that must be purposefully cultivated. The benefits of cultivating mindfulness are clear and bountiful but for many people, myself included, mindfulness is not a naturally occurring practice.

Positive Psychology Interventions: Mindfulness Meditation
One of my all-time favorite books is Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky. In this book, he shares his research regarding the physiological effects of stress on health. In a nutshell, the human stress response system was not built to endure chronic stress. Our stress response system developed to handle immediate threats to our safety like being chased by a lion. When a threat is detected our nervous and endocrine systems jump into action. Our sympathetic nervous system prepares our body to "fight or flight." Our endocrine system releases adrenaline and glucocorticoids to help us fend off the immediate threat. Our stress response system does it's job and does it well … for immediate threats. The problem occurs when our body interprets chronic stressors like work and treats it the same as an attacking lion. Prolonged activation of this response leads to detrimental effects in humans including

• High blood pressure
• Heart disease, including heart rhythm disorders and coronary artery disease
• Digestive conditions, including IBS, acid reflux and peptic ulcers
• Lack of sleep
• Obesity
• Headaches
• Backaches
• Anxiety
• Depression

Note: If you are not a big reader, you can learn more about Sapolsky's research in this documentary. I even show it to my students!

Mindfulness Meditation offers a way to break this chronic stress cycle. When practiced regularly, meditation can produce a "relaxation response" which calms the sympathetic nervous system. This leads to both physiological and psychological benefits including lower blood pressure, slower respiration, lower levels of anxiety and increased feelings of well-being. There are a number of ways in which mindfulness can be cultivated both in students and the faculty. In the next section I will detail four different strategies that can be easily embedded into any classroom, practice or even a faculty meeting.

1. Mindful Breathing: Focusing on the breath is a common mindfulness technique because the breath is always in the present moment. If we focus on the breath we are forced to focus our attention on the here and now. Want to give it a try? Find a comfortable position and click on the gif below. You will be practicing a "Box Breathing Exercise" in which you inhale for 4 seconds (while the circle expands), hold the breath for 4 seconds (while it remains expanded) and exhale for 4 seconds (as the circle contracts) and hold the breath for 4 seconds (while it remains contracted). Repeat as many times as necessary. 

2. Body Scans:
A body scan is a mindfulness practice that involves "scanning" your body for physical sensations. The purpose of this activity is to become more aware of your bodily sensations and train your mind to be more aware of sensory experiences. A typical body scan moves through each part of your body systematically paying attention, without judgement, as to how each part of your body feels. There are a number of different body scan meditations available online but I think you might really like this one by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

3. Walking Meditation:
A Walking Meditation is different from just "taking a walk." It is a formal process in which you focus on the physical sensations of walking. The first step in this process is to set your intention such as "I am going on this walk as a practice in mindfulness." The second step is to pay attention to the physical sensations produced by the act of walking. This could include the sensation of movement, the inhale and exhale of your breath, the relation of your body parts to each other, or even solitary elements in your environment. Be sure to extend yourself grace on your walk if you start thinking about things other than your walk itself. It is normal for the mind to wander. If your mind wanders from your walk, acknowledge and dismiss your thoughts without judgement and return your attention to your walk.

4. Mindful Check-In
A Mindful Check-In is another easy (and quick) way to practice mindfulness. There are three steps to a Mindful Check-In.

• Awareness: Bring your attention to your physical body. How does it feel? What do you notice? Next, direct your attention to your emotional and mental bodies. What thoughts and feelings are you experiencing?

• Breathe: Narrow your attention to your breath. Focus on the process of inhaling and exhaling. You don't need to try and change your breath. Just observe it as it is happening.

• Surroundings: Expand your awareness to the entirety of your physical self. Then expand your area of awareness to your surroundings. What do you hear, see, or feel?

Are you looking for other ways to encourage the practice of mindfulness? Check out this resource: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness/definition#how-cultivate-mindfulness

Well-Being Challenge

I would like to leave you with this clip from a favorite book of mine, The Art of Racing in the Rain. After watching the clip, take a moment to reflect on the following question: Where are your eyes focused?

I challenge you to observe where your mind exists this week and to give yourself permission to simply BE. In this very busy world in which we are constantly bombarded with images, information and demands we can consciously choose where to direct our attention to. Remember, "your car goes where your eyes go" (Stein, 2019).

I hope you found this information to be as helpful as I did! I would love to hear about how you incorporate mindfulness in your own classroom or how it goes if you are giving it a try for the first time!

With gratitude,

Cori

Last Post: #57: Glimmers of Gratitude: The Importance of Being Present

Resources:
What stress does to the body, and how mindfulness can help. Simply Well. (2021, September 13). Retrieved October 4, 2021, from http://www.simplywellblog.org/2019/06/24/what-stress-does-to-the-body-and-how-mindfulness-can-help/.

Compton, W. C., & Hoffman, E. (2020). Positive psychology: The science of happiness and flourishing. SAGE. 

Davis, D., & Hayes, J. (n.d.). What are the benefits of mindfulness? Retrieved October 5, 2021, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/07-08/ce-corner.

Finn, M. (2021, September 5). How to reduce stress like a Navy SEAL. Gear Patrol. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://www.gearpatrol.com/fitness/health-wellness/a325714/box-breathing-navy-seals/. 

Lyubomirsky, S. (2013). The how of happiness: A practical guide to getting the life you want. Piatkus. 

Mindfulness. Greater Good. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/topic/mindfulness. 

Matta, L. (2021, September 13). What stress does to the body, and how mindfulness can help. Simply Well. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from 

Shwartz, M., & Shwartz, M. (2007, March 7). Robert Sapolsky discusses physiological effects of stress. Stanford University. Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://news.stanford.edu/news/2007/march7/sapolskysr-030707.html. 

Stein, G. (2019). The art of racing in the rain. Harper, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. 

Walking meditation (greater good in action). Practices. (n.d.). Retrieved October 4, 2021, from https://ggia.berkeley.edu/practice/walking_meditation?_ga=2.35714722.365368524.1633201465-1028724032.1632243341.