Although the term “Mindfulness” often invokes an image of a monk sitting on a mountain chanting “OM,” neuroscience is proving this ancient practice is worthy of exploring today. Your true power lies in this moment. If you understand who you are and your emotional processes you live not only an authentic life but also an empowered one.
Mindfulness is really a brain thing and could also be referred to as attention training. Mindfulness means to pay attention on purpose in a particular way and to do so without passing judgement. It means to be aware of your thoughts, feelings, and sensations and still be at peace in that moment. Some of the core practices include; mindful breathing, mindful listening, loving kindness, mindful eating, mindful walking, journaling, gratitude, affect labelling/mindful emotions, and a body scan.
Pause for a moment. Feel the sensation of air through your nostrils. Is it warm or cool? Notice the rise and fall of your chest. Is there resistance or ease? Bring your awareness to expansion and contraction of your abdomen. Do you feel your clothing? Notice thoughts, notice sensations, notice sounds. Now, choose one of these and practice paying attention to your breath for 2 minutes.
Whenever your mind wanders bring it back to your breath. We all have thoughts. The goal is not to control the mind but rather not allow it to control you. Make note of how you feel. You have just started mindful breathing by paying attention to your breath on purpose. You are always breathing so you can always practice.
In 1979 Jon Kabat-Zinn (PhD, scientist, writer, professor, Founder of MBSR and often referred to as the Godfather of Mindfulness) put Mindfulness on the map in the western world when he founded the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program at the University of Massachusetts. The program was developed for chronically ill patients that were not responding well to traditional methods and has been highly successful.
Essentially Jon Kabat-Zinn took the Buddhism and Voodoo Woo-doo out of Mindfulness Meditation when he created the program. He said; “I bent over backwards to structure it and find ways to speak about it that avoided as much as possible the risk of it being seen as Buddhist, new age, eastern mysticism, or just plain flakey.”
Since that time neuroscience has shown us compelling evidence suggesting a regular Mindfulness Meditation practice leads to chemical and structural changes in the brain that allow for you to experience the benefits. One of my favourite studies is from Sara Lazar who is a Harvard neuroscientist who accidentally came across mindfulness and experienced such profound benefits that she did her own studies and now teaches mindfulness herself.
Mindful Schools of California (and many other industry leaders) teach the neuroscience of mindfulness. Mindfulness practices deactivate the part of your brain responsible for stress (amygdala) which in turn allows you access to the part of your brain responsible for all higher levels of thinking (pre-frontal cortex).
There are 9 aspects of wellbeing that are developed through a mindfulness practice/attention training/pre-frontal cortex activation: bodily regulation, insight, attuned communication, empathy, emotional regulation, fear modulation, response flexibility, intuition, and morality. (Gratitude may make this list soon).
You can begin to see where the aspects of wellbeing developed could lead to things such as increased confidence, greater compassion and empathy, improved health, more fulfilling relationships, higher creativity, effective communication, higher success rates, and happier daily living.
Mindfulness equates to self-awareness. They are essentially the same thing. One domain of emotional intelligence is self-awareness. You can’t accurately know yourself if you do not know and understand your emotional processes.
Emotional Intelligence may be defined as the ability to recognise, understand and manage our own emotions and recognise, understand, and influence the emotions of others.
Often referred to as “practicing the pause” you can pause as you did with breathing and make a more conscious choice. With continued practice you will develop higher levels of emotional intelligence you will begin to intuitively respond to people and situations as opposed to reacting emotionally. Imagine how many arguments you will save and how much less regret and guilt you will feel?
This is truly a space of self-empowerment where you have the opportunity to think, speak, and act in line with your values. This is where you have the ability create change, be authentic, and live intentionally.
The beginning of emotional intelligence begins with naming what you are feeling and then being able to feel it in your body and then being able to ask compassionate questions that help move you through. What you resist persists so if you don’t tend to your emotional wellbeing, it will wreak havoc on your wellbeing, your success, and your relationships.
There are countless ways to begin to develop emotional intelligence including; all formal mindfulness meditation-based practices as well as self-assessments, journaling, and even gratitude.
The problem that often arises is difficulty in sticking to a practice so it is necessary to make it a priority, schedule it, get help, get a buddy, and be kind to yourself on the journey. Cultivate compassion and curiosity for yourself and the experience. The processes and awareness are the focus not the end result. Enjoy the journey. Remember your power is in this moment.
Meng Tan, Chad, (2012). Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace). New York, New York: Harper
Mindful Schools of California
Mindfulness and Neural Integration: Daniel Siegel, MD at Tedx StudioCityED
Ingawa neno "Mindfulness" mara nyingi huwakumbusha kuhusu mtawa aliyeketi juu ya mlima akisema "OM", sayansi ya neva inathibitisha kwamba zoea hilo la kale linastahili kuchunguzwa leo. Nguvu yako ya kweli iko katika wakati huu. Ikiwa unaelewa wewe ni nani na michakato yako ya kihisia huishi sio tu maisha halisi lakini pia yenye nguvu. Uwezo wa kuzingatia ni kitu cha ubongo na pia inaweza kutajwa kama mafunzo ya umakini. Ukiwa makini, unamaanisha kuzingatia kwa makusudi kwa njia fulani na kufanya hivyo bila kuhukumu. Inamaanisha kuwa na ufahamu wa mawazo yako, hisia, na hisia na bado uwe na amani katika wakati huo. Mazoezi ya msingi ni pamoja na: kupumua kwa uangalifu, kusikiliza kwa uangalifu, upendo, kula kwa uangalifu, kutembea kwa uangalifu, kuandika, shukrani, kuathiri alama za hisia, na skani ya mwili. Pumzika kwa muda. Hisi hisia ya hewa kupitia pua zako. Je, ni joto au baridi? Angalia jinsi kifua chako kinavyoinuka na kushuka. Je, kuna upinzani au urahisi? Jitahidi kugundua kupanuka na kupungua kwa tumbo lako. Je, unahisi mavazi yako? Angalia mawazo, angalia hisia, angalia sauti. Chagua moja kati ya hizi na ufanye mazoezi ya kuzingatia pumzi yako kwa dakika mbili. Wakati wowote akili yako inapoenda, kurudisha kwa pumzi yako. Sote tuna mawazo. Lengo si kudhibiti akili, bali si kuruhusu akili ikuwale. Andika jinsi unavyohisi. Kwa hivyo, unaanza kupumua kwa uangalifu kwa kuzingatia pumzi yako. Unapumua daima, kwa hiyo unaweza kufanya mazoezi daima. "Jon Kabat-Zinn, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi, mwanasayansi.""" Programu hiyo ilitengenezwa kwa ajili ya wagonjwa wenye magonjwa ya kudumu ambao hawakuwa wakijibu vizuri kwa mbinu za kitamaduni na imefanikiwa sana. Jon Kabat-Zinn alianzisha programu ya Mindfulness ya kutafakari kwa kutumia mbinu ya Buddhism na Voodoo. "Nilijitahidi sana kuunda na kupata njia za kuzungumzia jambo hilo, na hivyo kuepuka uwezekano wa kuonekana kama jambo la Kibuddha, la enzi mpya, la kimuujiza, au la kawaida tu."" - Dr. John H. H. H. Since that time, neuroscience has shown us compelling evidence suggesting a regular mindfulness meditation practice leads to chemical and structural changes in the brain that allow you to experience the benefits." Sara Lazar, mwanasayansi wa neva wa Harvard, ambaye kwa bahati mbaya alikutana na ufahamu na uzoefu faida kubwa sana kwamba alifanya masomo yake mwenyewe na sasa anafundisha ufahamu mwenyewe. Shule za Mindful za California (na viongozi wengine wengi wa sekta) hufundisha sayansi ya neva ya ufahamu. Utafiti wa akili huondoa sehemu ya ubongo inayohusika na mkazo (amygdala), ambayo kwa upande wake hukuruhusu kupata sehemu ya ubongo inayohusika na viwango vyote vya juu vya kufikiri (prefrontal cortex). Kuna mambo tisa ya ustawi ambayo yanaendelezwa kupitia mazoezi ya ufahamu, mafunzo ya tahadhari, uanzishaji wa prefrontal cortex: udhibiti wa mwili, ufahamu, mawasiliano ya utulivu, hisia, udhibiti wa hisia, modulation ya hofu, kubadilika kwa majibu, intuition, na maadili. (Hebu tazama orodha hii ya shukrani.) Unaweza kuanza kuona ambapo mambo ya ustawi yanaweza kuongoza kwa mambo kama vile kuongezeka kwa ujasiri, huruma na hisia, afya bora, mahusiano ya kuridhisha zaidi, ubunifu wa juu, mawasiliano bora, viwango vya mafanikio ya juu, na maisha ya kila siku yenye furaha. Ukiwa makini ni sawa na kujijua. Kwa kweli, ni jambo lilelile. Sehemu moja ya akili ya kihisia-moyo ni kujitambua. Huwezi kujijua kwa usahihi ikiwa hujui na kuelewa michakato yako ya kihisia-moyo. Akili ya hisia ni uwezo wa kutambua, kuelewa na kusimamia hisia zetu na kutambua, kuelewa na kuathiri hisia za wengine. Mara nyingi inajulikana kama "kufanya mazoezi ya kusitisha" unaweza kusitisha kama ulivyofanya na kupumua na kufanya uchaguzi wa ufahamu zaidi. Kwa mazoezi ya kuendelea utaendeleza viwango vya juu vya akili ya kihisia, utaanza kujibu kwa intuitively kwa watu na hali badala ya kujibu kihisia. Fikiria jinsi utakavyoweza kuepuka mabishano mengi na jinsi utakavyoweza kupunguza majuto na hatia. Hii ni nafasi ya kujitolea ambapo una nafasi ya kufikiri, kusema, na kutenda kulingana na maadili yako. Hapa ndipo unapokuwa na uwezo wa kuunda mabadiliko, kuwa wa kweli, na kuishi kwa makusudi. Uwezo wa akili ya hisia huanza na jina la kile unachohisi, kisha kuweza kuhisi katika mwili wako, na kisha kuweza kuuliza maswali ya huruma ambayo yanakusaidia kuhamia. Kile unachokipinga huendelea hivyo ikiwa huwezi kutunza ustawi wako wa kihisia, itaharibu ustawi wako, mafanikio yako, na mahusiano yako. Kuna njia nyingi za kuanza kukuza akili ya kihisia ikiwa ni pamoja na; mazoea yote rasmi ya kutafakari kwa kuzingatia pamoja na tathmini za kibinafsi, kuandika jarida, na hata shukrani. Tatizo ambalo mara nyingi hutokea ni ugumu wa kushikamana na mazoezi, kwa hivyo ni muhimu kuifanya kuwa kipaumbele, kuipanga, kupata msaada, kupata rafiki, na kuwa mwema kwako mwenyewe katika safari. Sitawisha huruma na udadisi kwa ajili yako mwenyewe na kwa ajili ya uzoefu. Utaratibu na ufahamu ni lengo si matokeo ya mwisho. Furahia safari hiyo. Kumbuka nguvu yako iko katika wakati huu. Meng Tan, Chad, (2012). Tafuta Ndani Yako: Njia Isiyotarajiwa ya Kufikia Mafanikio, Furaha (na Amani Ulimwenguni). "Mwanzoni mwa mwaka wa 2020, Harper Mindful Schools of California (HMS) ilitoa mafunzo ya ""Mindfulness and Neural Integration"" (MNNI) kwa wanafunzi wa shule ya msingi ya New York City, na baadaye ilitoa mafunzo ya ""Mindfulness and Neural Integration"" (MNTI) kwa wanafunzi wa shule ya msingi ya New York City."