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What is being mindful?


Our mind is combination of muscles just like our body .

Every time you exercise or do some weights or a push up, you know that your body is getting  stronger by the day . If you have been training for a while you also know that your agility and reflexes are faster. In case of a physical attack you could use these . But that is everything to do with how we work for our body. Sometimes obsessed by weight loss and sometimes just as fitness freaks. I would call myself a workout freak too.  And I love the idea of a fantastic workout.

 

Recently my own personal journey has also led me to pay attention to mindfulness .

What is mindfulness? I am going to try and elaborate on this topic as best as I can .

 

Mindfulness is not just meditation . Mindfulness is a mind workout . Mindfulness is being in the present .Every time you are focus on a mindful activity, you are basically making sure that the mind gets it's push up reps. Just like you would use your physical strength to combat a physical attack , with mindfulness you will learn to use your mental strength to combat negative emotions, anxiety, depression to some extent and other thoughts that come in the way of a healthy mind.

 

Just like nutrition is important to the body and mind. Mind exercises are important for the mind. They not only boost your creativity, change your thought pattern but also give you a new lens to life. Just like you would experience with yoga or a workout , the changes in your body. The inch loss! The mind also has the capacity to change things.

 

Some technical aspects on how all these pieces of the brain are interconnected. Mindfulness works on each of these structures and impacts our mood/ anxiety levels etc. How any of these networks in our brain respond is how we work on our mental state of mind by reinforcing positive. Feeling what we feel and let the feeling pass. Acknowledge the feeling from a place of non -judgement and say to ourselves - It is okay to be angry / sad. I will let this feeling pass. Suppressing or controlling an emotion doesn’t do us any good .

 

The brain network :

 

  • The vagus nerve- It is wandering never that goes all over the body coming from the brain .
  • It is associated with affiliation , tend & befriend , positive emotions and is sensitive to safety .
  • Oxytocin : Enables breastfeeding, responsible for intimate contact. It promotes a greater sensitivity than suppression. It also promotes trust . - ( being in the presence of friends)
  • The hypothalamic midbrain - The nurturing function . Makes people take care of people.
  • Insula - The empathy circuit . Our reactions are the work of insula. Responds to pain and makes us sensitive to other people's pain.
  • Social expertise area - Temporal Parietal junction - Understanding other people's expressions.
  • The prefrontal cortex - enables efficient recovery .  (Present moment non judgmental open awareness)
  • Amygdala -The pain and pleasure system . - Reduces a sense of competition .

 

These and many other studies have been constantly showing us changes in the brain . These systems work simultaneously . But who organizes these systems. We can train our brain.

 

A daily practice starting with five minutes of a mindful activity.

Cooking - Observing the aroma of spices , the taste , paying attention to the details.

Gardening - Feeling the texture of the soil.

Music - Listening intently to the note and observing .

Meditation - Focus on breath-work.

 

Any activity that you love and can give your 100%.


 

 


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