My birthing instructor told me that mindfulness and breath work would be the most effective strategies for a positive birthing experience. I find that mind-boggling!
How can the simple act of thinking and breathing help me through one of the most challenging physical and mental experiences of my life? Well…I guess I’ll find out soon enough.
Books about HypnoBirthing and CalmBirthing centre around mindfulness and meditation themes of breathing, guided visualisation, positive words and thoughts. I should have read them earlier in my pregnancy, because now between napping, waddling and slowly setting up the nursery I have very little energy to read. So like most couch potatoes I have turned to Netflix…and was pleasantly surprised to find that Headspace has created three unique series teaching the simple strategies of mindfulness and meditation.
Guide to Meditation (8 episodes) Highly recommend episode 6!
Guide to Sleep (7 episodes) I’ll be needing this once baby arrives.
Unwind Your Mind (1 episode) Interactive/choose your own meditation.
Each episode is beautifully animated and consists of a simple lesson, followed by a guided meditation. They’re so bingeable, I watch multiple at a time..and often fall asleep on the couch during the second or third video.
“Sleep is the best meditation.” — Dalai Lama
Although still very much a novice, I’ve been playing around with mindfulness for a few months. Specifically applying it to the realm of housework. Thinking I was very clever, I assumed I was the first to discover the application of mindfulness to washing dishes, but after a quick google search realised it wasn’t such an original idea, haha. Never the less, it encouraged me to pursue dishwashing as a daily mindfulness practice. And the results have been wonderful!
Not only do I enjoy the warmth of the water as I satisfyingly rinse food off plates and stack them in the dishwasher like Tetris; the kitchen is cleaner and I’m not filled with dread every night I put the kitchen to bed.
I’ve made it a daily ritual, which according to the scientific literature, is the most affective way to see results.
My goal this month is to find ways to seamlessly integrate mindfulness into my daily routine, while also intentionally practicing meditative practices that will help support me through this next season of life (e.g. newborn stage).
But before I do, there are a few questions I want to answer.
Mindfulness vs Meditation: What’s the Difference?
Despite “meditation” sounding a bit alternative and woo-woo, while “mindfulness” the more secular alternative, these terms are often used synonymously. But the question is “are they the same?” And if not….“how are they different?”
After doing some research (aka, a quick google), I found a few different definitions.
Mindfulness is the awareness of “some-thing,” while meditation is the awareness of “no-thing.” - Shapiro
“Mindfulness is your awareness of what's going on in the present moment without any judgment. Meditation is the training of attention which cultivates that mindfulness.” - Tara Branch
“Meditation is the delicate and effortless art of doing nothing. It is the skill to take a deep rest while being conscious and alert.” - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
“Mindfulness: Awareness of our outer life. Meditation: Awareness of our inner life.” - Kathryn Remati
Although there are may different ways of saying it, I believe it boils down to…
“Mindfulness” is a general cultivated state and/or inherent trait characterised by non-judgemental awareness of being (e.g. cognition, emotion, and sensation).
“Meditation” is the practice of specific cognitive techniques (e.g. repeating mantras, contemplating a question, body scanning & visualisations).
The aim of each being…
“Mindfulness” is the intention of being aware of the mind.
“Meditation” is the practice of transcending the mind.
Now that we understand the difference between the two terms, it’s important to know that they can be applied separately or together in a practice called…you guessed it… “mindfulness meditation”.
Mindfulness & Meditation Health Benefits
Excessive stress increases the stress hormone cortisol, resulting in the release of inflammatory chemicals (cytokines) that negatively impact our mental (e.g. anxiety and depression) and physical health (e.g. immune, cardiovascular, metabolism). Research has shown that meditation can reduce cortisol in at-risk populations (i.e. people with severe mental and physical illness, PTSD, low socioeconomic status and caregivers), resulting in overall stress reduction.
In one study women with breast cancer experienced the positive effects of relieving anxiety, depression, fatigue, stress, distress and improving mindfulness, cognitive function, emotional wellbeing, physical function. While another study showed a reduction in cancer-related fatigue.
Some evidence suggests that mindfulness meditation can improve sleep quality in a variety of clinical populations with sleep disturbance.
It is important to note that whilst most of the scientific literature shows significant positive outcomes of meditation, as with all research, there are imitations and biases that may affect these results.
Never the less, what research cannot determine is how this practice will personally impact you. Even without scientific proof (although thankfully there is plenty, just search google scholar), there is a large collection of anecdotal evidence that mindfulness and meditation has improved the lives of people all around the world.
If you want to experience some of these benefits…all you need to do is have an open mind and start practicing.
How to Practice Mindfulness Everyday?
Like I mentioned earlier, washing the dishes has become one of my favourite mindful mediation practices. But it wasn’t always that way.
I had been frustrated with cleaning the kitchen for months…letting the dishes pile up, the stove become caked with oil residue, while leaving random bottles and leftover food siting on the bench to spoil. I just couldn’t bring myself to clean it all up, only for it to get messy again at the next meal. Why bother?
So when I finally had enough, I embraced reflection and mindfulness. Discovering that the state of the kitchen was a direct reflection of the state of my mind.
So instead of letting myself become overwhelmed by the mess, I let it motivate me to enact change. Here’s how I got started…
Firstly, putting clean items back in their home (e.g. leftovers in the fridge, spices in the pantry, dry dishes in the cupboard).
Secondly, corralling all the dirty dishes into one pile on the bench/in the sink.
Thirdly, before tackling the dishes, I would wipe down all other surfaces (e.g. stovetop, clear benches, appliances) that wouldn’t get wet during dishwashing. This step was the most impactful because it felt like I had cleaned most of the kitchen before even getting to the dreaded dishes.
Fourth and finally, I would start my meditation. Relaxing my mind as I bathed my hands in the hot soapy water. Letting go of negative thoughts as I scraped food remnants into the bin. Finding peace as I orderly placed each dish into the dishwasher. Practicing gratitude as I poured in the dishwashing liquid, turned on the dishwasher and stepped back to enjoy the beautifully clean kitchen.
Five More Ways Mindfulness Can Be Applied Throughout The Day:
Mindful Wakeup (The Five Senses): The morning rush starts as soon as your alarm blares and your eyes pry open; then jumping out of bed and racing through the to-do list or staggering around like a zombie trying to wake up. Either way, you're stuck in your head and haven’t connect with the world you’ve woken up into, or acknowledged that you’ve been blessed with another day of life. Practicing a five senses meditation as you lay in bed, have your morning coffee or brush your teeth, enables you to recognise and appreciate that today is a new and beautiful day that you get to be apart of. Setting you up for success!
Mindful Eating (Gratitude): Food is a precious and privileged resource that is often shoved down and under appreciated. Experiencing your food and eating slowly not only improves taste and digestion, but allows you to acknowledge the value of each meal.
Mindful Reset (Decompression): At some point during the day you may find yourself overwhelmed or staring into your coffee thinking “I can’t go on, I need a break”. Instead of throwing in the towel and giving up, find a quiet space to decompress for 10 minutes.
Mindful Walking (Refocusing): Whether you’re walking into the office, up stairs, from one room to another, or along the beach…this is an opportunity to practice mindful movement.
Mindful Wind Down (Focused Breathing): Instead of ‘checking-out’ by watching TV or scrolling social media at the end of the day (only to be bombarded by thoughts as you try to go to sleep), decompressing using a mindful breathing meditation will relax your entire being and help prepare the body and mind for some much needed rest.
Other opportunities to practice mindfulness: Driving, exercising, intentional listening, bathing/showering, journalling.
A great way to learn and practice mindfulness and other meditative practices at home (and on the cheap) is by using Meditation Apps. Headspace and Smiling Mind have both shown to improve aspects of negative mental health in the short term and may strengthen positive mental health when used regularly.
Alternately, you can search Youtube for a wide variety of mindfulness and mediation videos. I’m currently listening to labour meditations :)
Is Meditation a Religious Practice?
One of my personal concerns about meditation was it’s religious connotations. I never want to recommend a habit that could potentially offend someones personal spiritual beliefs (whether you have them or not). I image for those without a religious background meditation can seem a bit weird and airy-fairy, while for those with religious backgrounds it could be scary and concerning to practice a method that may have originated from a different view of spirituality.
So before you read any further…I want to mention three things:
If you feel uncomfortable practicing mediation (even mindfulness meditation) for any reason, honour that feeling and move on. Don’t force it.
Yes, meditation is historically rooted in religious practices. In fact, it’s present in most religions. So, for example, if you are a Christian you don’t need to be afraid of practicing methods from Hinduism or Taoism, and vice versa. There are specific ways that each person can practice meditation while honouring their unique religious/spiritual beliefs.
No, meditation doesn’t have to be a spiritual practice! Mindfulness meditation in particular is a form of self-reflection and awareness that is about you and your mind. You can keep it purely physical and mental without including the spiritual.
Final Thoughts
Mindfulness and meditation are what you make it. Being as simple and relaxed, or involved and complex, as you desire. It’s a beneficial skill to learn, whether you use it every day or only in certain situations. Don’t let other people define and dictate how you practice mindfulness or meditation. It’s a personal exercise that you can customise to your specific needs.
If this is a habit you would like to foster, make sure you click on some of the resources I’ve attached as links in this newsletter. There is so much information and inspiration out there on the internet. It was a lot of fun finding all the little gems that I wanted to share. If you have any resources, tips or suggestions…please share them in the comments.
Thoughtful Recommendations
Let the pines sing you to sleep
The beauty of mindful dishwashing
A child’s insightful thoughts on anger
A hilariously honest (potentially offensive) explicit meditation
Group Meditation
When I was fifteen, my mum brought me along to a group meditation class. Sitting in a circle facing the group, I was quite embarrassed, and wished I had stayed at home. Thankfully, a middle aged gentleman soon asked us to close our eyes, and he began taking us through the simple meditation, saying…
“Image your thoughts are like flowers or leaves flying in the air above a forest, your breath is the wind. Just observe how these thoughts float into focus, travel above the tree tops, then fly out of focus again. Sometimes these thoughts get stuck in the tree branches and we fixate on them. Just give the branches a little shake to dislodge the though, refocus your breath and let them fly away.”
It was such a strange meditation, but honestly, I’ve used it so often over the years, it’s my go-to practice when my thoughts feel like a storm on the wind.
Question: What experience have you had with group meditation? Did you enjoy it?