{"id":316,"date":"2021-12-16T21:26:24","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T21:26:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellness.mymynd.co.uk\/?page_id=316"},"modified":"2025-03-21T14:15:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T14:15:57","slug":"mindfulness-and-meditation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wellness.mymynd.co.uk\/cy\/uk\/mindfulness-and-meditation\/","title":{"rendered":"Mindfulness and Meditation"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":2688,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"resource.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-316","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"wellness_subheading":"Universal resources","wellness_heading":"Mindfulness and Meditation","wellness_content":"","wellness_video_quote":"","wellness_video_or_image":"video","wellness_youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube","wellness_vimeo_id":"vzKryaN44ss","image":null,"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text_and_media","background_colour":"","container_width":"standard","columns":"half","text_side":"left","image_or_video":"video","youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube","image":759,"youtube_id":"w6T02g5hnT4","vimeo_id":"","heading":"What is Mindfulness?","text":"You might have heard of Mindfulness before. And you might have read about its role in reducing stress and combating sadness or Anxiety. But what is Mindfulness and why should you learn more about it?\r\n\r\nWe live in an extremely fast-paced world and tend to forget checking in with ourselves. Our thoughts are often with the future or in the past, dwelling on things that have been or things that might happen. In doing so, we can get overwhelmed, stressed and worried. \r\n\r\nMindfulness on the other hand, involves focussing our attention on the \u2018right here and right now\u2019. It is a state of observing our present thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad. It can be a powerful tool for identifying and managing troubling thoughts and feelings. It can also help avoiding harsh self-criticism and judgement.","buttons":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"text_and_media","background_colour":"","container_width":"narrow","columns":"half","text_side":"left","image_or_video":"image","youtube_or_vimeo":"","image":1628,"youtube_id":"","vimeo_id":"","heading":"Mindfulness is...","text":"'the practice of being aware of your body, mind, and feelings in the present moment, thought to create a feeling of calm.'\r\n\r\n'about observation without criticism; being compassionate with yourself.'\r\n\r\n'the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we\u2019re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what\u2019s going on around us.'","buttons":null},{"acf_fc_layout":"grid","heading":"Why should you practise Mindfulness?","subheading":"There are many reasons to incorporate Mindfulness into your daily routine. Regularly practising Mindfulness can help you develop a better mindset, foster your emotional wellbeing, improve your relationships and ultimately, live a happier life. Mindfulness has been linked to: ","background_colour":"","download":"","columns":"3","carousel":false,"grid_items":[{"image":"","heading":"Improved working memory","text":"","link":"","button_style":"black"},{"image":"","heading":"Lower Anxiety levels","text":"","link":"","button_style":"black"},{"image":"","heading":"Heightened focus","text":"","link":"","button_style":"black"},{"image":"","heading":"Management of physical pain","text":"","link":"","button_style":"black"},{"image":"","heading":"Reduced emotional reactivity","text":"","link":"","button_style":"black"},{"image":"","heading":"Reduced stress","text":"","link":"","button_style":"black"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"grid","heading":"Mindfulness in your daily life","subheading":"Mindfulness can be practiced by anyone, anywhere, at any time of day. You do not need to be an expert to benefit from it. In fact, you might have even used mindful techniques, unknowingly, before!","background_colour":"","download":"","columns":"3","carousel":false,"grid_items":[{"image":1635,"heading":"Eating mindfully","text":"Even the simplest daily activities, such as eating<\/a>, can be transformed into meaningful experiences. Instead of picking up your phone or letting your mind wander, draw your full awareness to your meal. Notice how your food smells and tastes, its texture and heat. You can also apply this to any other daily activity, e.g. brushing your teeth, walking to the bus or making a cup of coffee.","link":"","button_style":"black"},{"image":1630,"heading":"Listening to others","text":"Both at work and at home, we frequently listen to others\u2019 feelings, feedback and thoughts. Active Listening \u2013\u00a0listening without judgement, emotions or crafting a response simultaneously \u2013 is a way to listen mindfully. By listening in such a way, we pay better attention and respond in a more compassionate and meaningful way.","link":"","button_style":"black"},{"image":1633,"heading":"Before a presentation","text":"Certain situations, such as giving a speech or a presentation, can be stressful. You can deal with that stress by going somewhere quiet and practising some gentle breathing. Focus on what you are feeling. Do not get distracted by any negative thoughts or emotions, accept them and let them pass. They are not who you are. They do not define how good you will perform.","link":"","button_style":"black"}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"anchor","text":"tools"},{"acf_fc_layout":"tabs_with_sub_tabs","heading":"How can beginners practise Mindfulness?","intro":"There are endless opportunities to learn more about Mindfulness and to start practising \u2013 all from the comfort of your home. Just pick a technique that appeals to you and get going! In order to give you a head start we have compiled a list of further reading, helpful resources and practical exercises that you can access below. If you are familiar with mindfulness already, there are tools to help you implement mindfulness into your daily routine.","tabs":[{"title":"Meditation","overview":"For many people the first thing that comes to mind when asked about Mindfulness is Meditation.\r\n\r\nMeditation is a way of taking a pause from our hectic days in order to tune in with ourselves. It can help us relax and relieve stress, connect with ourselves, manage pain or discomfort and reduce negative thoughts. We can meditate on our own or in a group, follow a book, a tape, an app or videos. \r\n\r\nThere is a huge pool of guided Meditations and resources to choose from, some of which are listed in the materials section.","purpose":"","time":"","resource_type":"none","instructions":"Contrary to popular belief Meditation is not about \u2018silencing\u2019 and \u2018emptying our brain. While this might be our perception of a buddhist monk practicing Meditation it is certainly not so for Meditation beginners. In Mindfulness Meditation<\/strong> we learn to gently focus on our breath. And we learn to recognise when our mind gets distracted from that task.\r\n\r\nFor this exercise, follow a few simple steps:<\/em>\r\n\r\n1. Sit on a chair or a cushion, or even lie down \u2013 whatever is comfortable for you.\r\n\r\n2. Focus on one aspect of your breathing \u2013 the sensations of air flowing into your nostrils and out of your mouth, or the rising and falling of your belly.\r\n\r\n3. Embrace and accept any thought or emotion that might arise \u2013 without judging it.\r\n\r\n4. Return to focusing on your breathing if your mind wanders too much.\r\n\r\nYou could try this\u00a0guided breath Meditation<\/a> to start with, or pick another one of the audios or videos in the materials section.","materials":[{"type":"video","file":null,"app":"","link":"","video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=o-kMJBWk9E0&feature=emb_title","title":"Meditation 101: a beginner's guide ","text":"","thumbnail":1080,"youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube"},{"type":"link","file":null,"app":"","link":"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/gb\/title\/81280926","video":"","title":"Headspace documentary ","text":"Requires a Netflix account","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""},{"type":"video","file":null,"app":"","link":"","video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=uNHLhHyjbd0","title":"Headspace mini wellbeing Meditation ","text":"5 minutes ","thumbnail":1080,"youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube"},{"type":"video","file":null,"app":"","link":"","video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=c1Ndym-IsQg","title":"Headspace mini stress relieve Meditation","text":"1 minute ","thumbnail":1080,"youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube"},{"type":"video","file":null,"app":"","link":"","video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=inpok4MKVLM","title":"Quick Meditation you can do anyhwere","text":"5 minutes","thumbnail":1080,"youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube"},{"type":"video","file":null,"app":"","link":"","video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=azG_EHKRqmk","title":"Engaging your senses Meditation ","text":"5 minutes","thumbnail":1080,"youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube"},{"type":"video","file":null,"app":"","link":"","video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O-6f5wQXSu8","title":"Meditation for Anxiety","text":"10 minutes","thumbnail":1080,"youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube"},{"type":"video","file":null,"app":"","link":"","video":"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=p_eZuUwGfpw","title":"Staircase Meditation","text":"2 minutes","thumbnail":1080,"youtube_or_vimeo":"youtube"}]},{"title":"Journalling","overview":"A journal is a record that can be used to write down your emotions, thoughts, tasks, goals, ideas and memories. \r\n\r\nJournalling is an alternative way in which we can practise Mindfulness. It allows us to express our individual thoughts and feelings and to reflect on them. It is a practice that requires us to slow down, focus and look inwards \u2013 something that we tend to forget in our busy lives. Above all, it is really easy to implement on a daily basis and can be done anywhere. \r\n","purpose":"","time":"","resource_type":"none","instructions":"So, why should we start Journalling?<\/strong>\r\n\r\nSimply, there is no reason not to journal. It can be used to calm specific feelings of Anxiety or Depression or more general distress and emotional turmoil. It helps us sharpen our focus and turns our attention inwards. It can be used to increase positive thoughts and decrease negative ones. It can be used to create positive emotions. It can also be used to envision our future and visualise our goals.\r\n\r\nThere are many different types of Journalling (click here for some examples<\/a>), each with its own benefits and uses. There is no right or wrong, when deciding how to journal.","materials":[{"type":"app","file":null,"app":"https:\/\/penzu.com\/","link":"","video":"","title":"Penzu","text":"Private, 100% customisable journal.","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""},{"type":"app","file":null,"app":"https:\/\/daybook.app\/","link":"","video":"","title":"Daybook","text":"Journal that safeguards your memories and helps you to reflect upon past experiences, analyse and improve yourself. ","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""},{"type":"app","file":null,"app":"https:\/\/diaroapp.com\/","link":"","video":"","title":"Diaro","text":"Simple, effective and personal diary to keep life moments and ideas always with you.","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""},{"type":"app","file":null,"app":"https:\/\/daylio.net\/","link":"","video":"","title":"Daylio","text":"Self-care bullet journal with goals, mood diary & happiness tracker. ","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""},{"type":"app","file":null,"app":"https:\/\/dayoneapp.com\/","link":"","video":"","title":"Day One","text":"Easy-to-use journal to capture anything, from once-in-a-lifetime events to everyday moments. ","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""},{"type":"link","file":null,"app":"","link":"https:\/\/www.highlifenorth.com\/2021\/01\/23\/how-to-start-mindfulness-journaling\/","video":"","title":"How to start Journalling","text":"Article on how to begin Journalling, including a downloadable workbook to help you get started. ","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""},{"type":"link","file":null,"app":"","link":"https:\/\/www.intelligentchange.com\/blogs\/read\/20-types-of-journals-to-keep","video":"","title":"20 types of journals to keep","text":"See what types of journals are out there, and how you can benefit from keeping each of them.","thumbnail":null,"youtube_or_vimeo":""}]},{"title":"Yoga","overview":"Yoga is an ancient form of movement that involves physical poses, concentration and deep breathing. It combines physical, mental and spiritual practices that can boost our strength, flexibility and overall wellbeing. \r\n\r\nThere are many different types and disciplines of Yoga and which one you choose depends on both your expectations and physical abilities. The instructions section provides several Yoga practice videos, sorted by difficulty, to help you get started. ","purpose":"","time":"","resource_type":"none","instructions":"

At-home yoga videos you can follow for free:<\/p>\r\n\u00a0Beginners:<\/strong>\r\n