So, what’s with mindfulness?
The concept of mindfulness to many is no more than another buzzword used too often by hippies and millennials. It wasn’t until stumbling onto additional research and videos (such as the one to the left) on the topic that helped to convince me there was more to mindfulness/ meditation than shown in old martial-arts movies. The purpose for this series of publications is to explore a bit behind the science and process of mindfulness meditation as we understand it and how it can be beneficial personally and socially.
Meditation — as a practice — has survived through hundreds of generations and has been adopted by countless cultures, but never to be taken seriously in Western societies until relatively recently.
I believe the recent rise in popularity around mindfulness can be attributed to the increased stress experienced by most Americans. Whether caused by pressure to perform at work or school, or simply the daily motions, mindfulness meditation has something to offer everyone.
Doing Nothing as a Virtue
Meditation for some may rekindle memories of “time-out” as a child when the only punishment worse than remaining still for any period of time, was death.
For those, however, who are willing to set aside even just 5 minutes in their day to intentionally sit and do nothing without distraction, the long-term benefits can be astounding. Meditation isn’t only for stress however. Research has shown Meditation acts as an exercise for your brain, adjusting levels and rebuilding the brain’s grey matter. Resulting in changes in memory, sense of self, empathy and stress to name a few.
Action Plan
Over the next few weeks my goal is to take a deeper dive into what mindfulness meditation has to offer. Beyond personal benefit, I would like to understand how practicing mindfulness can be beneficial in an academic or professional environment. To accomplish this I will elicit the aid of fellow peers as well as the ample resources available on the topic.
Beyond just research however, there is no better way to learn than personal experience. Over the next few weeks I plan to set aside a minimum of 20 minutes per day to intentionally sit, meditate and practice mindfulness. Additionally, I will keep a journal in order to record thoughts or insights on the process.
By the end of this process I hope to have habituated meditation as a daily ritual. As Dan Harris put it, making it habit that you feel guilty not doing. Furthermore, I hope the information provided will motivate readers to do their own research into what meditation and mindfulness can do for them.
