Mindfulness Practice Tips

Many of us have likely heard about the practice of “mindfulness,” and perhaps some of us have not; either way, we may not be able to fully articulate what this practice is all about. What is mindfulness, really? One definition of the phenomenon, as popularized by John Kabat-Zin, is “the awareness that emerges through paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment” (2003). 

Notice the different elements involved in this definition: 

  • Awareness

  • Paying attention on purpose

  • Present moment 

  • Non-judgmentally

  • Unfolding of experience moment-by-moment 

So at its core, mindfulness is a kind of awareness - some would even say it is the purest kind of awareness. We can achieve this awareness by paying attention (intentionally, and non-judgmentally) to our present moment experience. And since one present moment is perpetually flowing into the next, we are essentially paying attention to our process of ongoing experience as it unfolds, one moment at a time. Broken down this way, mindfulness may seem a fairly simple phenomenon. And at its heart, it is simple. Simple - but not necessarily easy! 

One reason why this practice can be far from easy is that our minds provide us with never-ending distractions. We are constantly beset by an endless stream of thoughts, memories, ideas, worries about the future, regrets about the past, etc… This is 100% normal, and everyone experiences it. So don’t be dismayed! Not even a Zen Master could make their mind stop chattering away like this. But the good news is that our chattering minds don't have to stop us from practicing mindfulness. The key is to allow our minds to keep chattering away in the background like a radio, and as often as a thought succeeds in hooking our attention, to gently acknowledge it (e.g., “Here’s a painful memory distracting me”) and then to bring our awareness back to our present moment experience. 

Another reason mindfulness can be difficult in practice is that, as we allow ourselves to become aware of our present moment experience, we may become aware of all kinds of feelings we would rather not dwell on - for example, physical discomfort, stiffness, or pain. Or, we may notice feelings of boredom or frustration arising. Whatever the feeling is, here again, the key is to notice it and gently acknowledge it (e.g., “Here’s a feeling of backache”) without trying to change it: to allow it to be where it already is, as a valid part of our present moment experience. 

Let’s take the example of mindfully focusing on one’s breath to illustrate how all of this works. 

Mindful Breathing ~ The following is taken and paraphrased from an Acceptance exercise by Russ Harris (2019). You can record yourself reading it aloud slowly, and then play it back to practice mindfulness as a self-guided meditation. The audio will help with distractions, too. 

  • Let’s get comfortable and starting taking some deep breaths… in, and out. 

  • As you breathe, get curious about your breath. Try to notice it as though you are a curious scientist who has never encountered breathing before. Notice the physical sensations of the breath as it flows in and out. 

  • Very frequently, you will notice you have been hooked by a thought; this is normal and natural, and it happens to everyone. Whenever it happens, gently acknowledge and notice what it was that hooked you, and then bring your awareness back to your breath. 

  • Notice the rise and fall of your chest and your ribcage. Feel the air in your nostrils. 

  • Allow your mind to chatter on in the background like a radio, and don’t try to turn the radio off - no one can do that. Simply allow it to chatter away; and whenever it hooks your attention, gently bring your awareness back to your breath. 

  • As you focus on your breath, the feelings and sensations in your body will change. They may be pleasant or unpleasant. See if you can allow them to be there, exactly as they are. Don’t try to control them. Just try to notice and feel them without a struggle. 

  • If you notice a difficult feeling, for instance, gently acknowledge what this feeling is. Say to yourself, “Here’s a feeling of boredom,” for example, and then refocus on your breath.

  • Now it’s time to bring up the lights on the rest of your awareness. Move your arms and legs around, take a stretch, and open your eyes. Notice the room around you. 

Short-and-Sweet Mindfulness Activities

2 Mindful Breaths 

Simply take a moment to pause, and take 2 mindful breaths: 

• Inhaling, notice the air moving through your nostrils, your ribs expanding, your chest rising…

•Exhaling, notice the air moving through your nostrils, your ribs contracting, your chest falling. 


5-4-3-2-1 

Take a moment to take in your surroundings, and notice:  

• 5 things you can see… 

• 4 things you can hear…

• 3 things you can feel/touch…

• 2 things you can smell…

• And 1 thing you can taste. 


Dropping Anchor ~ This exercise is taken and abridged from Russ Harris (2018). It includes elements of the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise above. 

“• First, just see if you can push your feet hard into the floor… Feel the ground beneath you.

• Now sit forward in your chair, and straighten your back. Feel the chair beneath you; notice your back supporting you.

• Now also look around the room—up, down, and side to side—and notice five things that you can see.• And also notice three or four things you can hear…

• And also notice the room around you…” (Harris, 2018). 


References

Harris, R. (2018). ACT questions and answers: A practitioner's guide to 150 common sticking 

points in acceptance and commitment therapy. New Harbinger Publications.

Harris, R. (2019). ACT made simple: An easy-to-read primer on acceptance and commitment 

therapy. New Harbinger Publications.

Stacy Sheridan