“I am not good at meditation!”

MINDFULNESS can be fun, easy and simple — and you don’t have to be good at it!

As a mental health clinician, I often hear new clients say, “I am not good at meditation!” or “What is Mindfulness exactly?

There is often a perception that in order to participate in Mindfulness, you must be “good” at it. That’s not true at all! Mindfulness is often perceived as a mystery about what it actually is, which can cause some to avoid it all together.

Mindfulness could be described as noticing, just being, or accessing that part of ourselves that we can calmly observe, while learning to let go of judgement. This can release the hold of the constant chatter of the mind by simply noticing the thoughts versus identifying with them. At least those are some ways one could look at mindfulness. Often, the more one tries to define it or be good at it, the least Mindful it becomes!

So, my advice is don’t worry about understanding it or being good at it. Simply, trust it will be supportive to the mind and body and can be used as a tool to focus, calm and relax at anytime and anywhere.

I think one of the best ways to be mindful or present is to simply notice when one is not present and practice being present through breath, or a multitude of other ways that can be fun and easy to explore. Try doing this throughout the day and if nothing else, you will be able to consistently bring yourself to a more mindful state and the rest is unpredictable while frequently positive in some way!

3 mindfulness exercises that are easy and simple and don’t take long (unless you want them to):

· Breathe slowly — fling up the belly like a balloon — hold and slowly let go. Say quietly to yourself while you do this “I am breathing in, I am breathing out” That’s it. As long as you like whenever you like.

· Scan the body — move throughout the body noticing — from head to toe. If there is tension — let it go or adjust your posture or do nothing and notice. Add some slow breathing and presto — you are being mindful!

· Turn your head from side to side slowly and scan your space. Notice what is there. Simple, easy and mindful.

Bonus points: say an affirmation while you breathe: Keep a list up at work to refer to.

Example: I am a radiant being enjoying life to the fullest.

Or, imagine yourself letting go of stress, negative feelings or whatever as you exhale them like a cloud or smoke floating away as you breathe it out.

Alternatively, you can Imagine yourself in a place that feels relaxing and use your imagination to visualize yourself in this place experiencing a positive feeling, state or way of being such as being focused, having fun, etc.

If you still feel like attempting a mindfulness exercise on your own is daunting, follow along with an AiR Healthcare clinician in one of our mindfulness or grounding videos.

I challenge you to try one exercise and use it every day for 3 days and see what happens! Have fun and remember to BREATHE.

AiR Healthcare is an international provider of data-driven behavioral health care management and telemedicine. Help us change the world of Behavioral Health!

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