Discover one of the aspects of meditation that attracts more and more people all over the world. Mindfulness, the meditation that has as its principle full attention to the present moment, comes with the promise of alleviating the factors that cause the individual’s greatest conflicts with his daily day life: stress and anxiety. […]
Discover one of the aspects of meditation that attracts more and more people around the world
Mindfulness, a meditation whose principle is full attention to the present moment, promises to alleviate the factors that cause the individual’s main conflicts in daily life: stress and anxiety. Followed by many, even science, mindful practice seems to be simpler than the name suggests.
But what is this?
One of the most authoritative American magazines today has defined the movement in search of awareness as a conscious revolution. This is how Time approached this new trend that affects free time, education and even the job market. Awareness originates from the term SATI, from the Pali language, a language close to Sanskrit, characteristic of regions such as India. The word means the act of remembering. Based on the concept existing today, the adoption of this practice was made possible millennia after its appearance.
The spread of the business, as it is known today, was provided by an American. Professor emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, US, Jon Kabat-Zinn became interested in the concept after attending a lecture with a Zen master. Since then, the professor’s career, dedicated exclusively to molecular biology, has been structured in such a way as to relate meditative practice to science. The result was the formation of a technique that is still circulating in health centers today, with the aim of relieving patients’ chronic pain.
Application of mindfulness
The concept of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), as the program created by Kabat-Zinn became known, has gained prominence and is currently recommended for
treatments for various diseases.
The goal of the practice is to be aware of yourself and your consciousness. Through this technique, the individual is able to understand their own precepts, judgments and know how to discern what is beneficial or not for their mental health. “Mindfulness is a modern term for one of the aspects of the ancient practice of self-realization,” confirms speaker and meditation instructor Giridhari Das.
Mindfulness helps in situations like: While someone takes a shower before work, their mind starts coming up with a list of appointments and tasks that need to be done that day or even during the week. This common habit, however, generates anxiety and prevents people from fully enjoying the present moment. In the case of bathing, for example, the person stops feeling the pleasant sensations caused by the water.
To explain this behavior, psychologist Daniela Sopezki says: “We live on ‘autopilot,’ with little awareness of the experience or even the intention behind our actions.” According to this perspective, awareness allows us to resume daily activities in a more conscious way, helping to take each step intentionally and, therefore, strengthening mental conditioning.
Separate things
It is important to distinguish between meditation and mindfulness, especially in relation to the ultimate goals of each practice. Meditation seeks to achieve serenity, while mindfulness focuses on developing concentration and attention. When Hindu leader Siddhartha Gautama – widely known as Buddha – popularized the practice of meditation, he proposed that people “turn off” their minds to free themselves from mental suffering. On the other hand, mindfulness appears as a branch of Eastern meditative practices, with a particular emphasis on full attention and, consequently, concentration on the present moment.
In practice
Starting meditation can be the most difficult step. Dedicating time to yourself is a challenge that few accept due to the autopilot mode that routine generates, the result of the accumulation of activities in a short period of time. Automatism, even if unconscious, can be overcome. According to Américo Barbosa, creator of the Hasta Ananda rapid meditation method, “our robotization occurs by particularizing certain poorly perceptive feelings”. According to the
specialist, the method is essential because “awareness increases our capacity for self and exoperception”.
To help you regain control of your mind, there are some exercises that are easier to perform due to their association with everyday life. This is the case of the Chocolate Meditation, which guarantees awareness training through tasting the dessert. See below how to do it:
- Choose the type of chocolate that best suits your tastes;
- Open the package understanding what the flavor of the candy is and how it is inhaled. From this process, the person who practices this exercise model guarantees himself new experiences related to smell.
- Subsequently the tasting takes place slowly. The chocolate should be held on the tongue until it melts. During this phase the subject may have thoughts focused on other reflections. As soon as this dispersion occurs, the meditator must try to understand it
justification of the deviation of thought.
- Swallowing, feeling the consistency of what remains of the chocolate, is one of the last steps. Once finished, the next piece should be eaten with the same care.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
