Mindfulness - right here, right now

“I want two!  I want two!”  My 4 year old was whinging about not being able to have two slices of the delicious, fresh Tuscany loaf that we buy from the local farmers market every second week.   She had already struggled to finish off her fruit salad and yoghurt, and not being a big eater I was fairly certain one slice would do her.  A second slice would be wasted and we weren’t going to be able to buy another loaf for a fortnight.

“You haven’t even started the first one!”  I objected.  “Eat that first and then if you’re still hungry I’ll cut you another slice.”  “No, I want two, like her!” (big sister), came the retort.

I thought to myself what a perfect opportunity for a lesson in mindfulness … living in the present moment rather than thinking about the future.  So I told her this:  Enjoy this slice of fresh, soft Tuscany loaf.  Feel its texture, soft and crumbly.  Smell the wonderfully homely aroma of the durham wheat.  Look at the creamy colour of the slice, and the perfectly baked warm brown crust.   Smother the slice with a generous amount of butter and then savour the flavour of the bread in your mouth as the butter and bread melt together on your tongue.   Enjoy your slice of bread.

 

She was silent and I knew I’d struck a chord.  She did exactly as I had said, taking an enormous whiff of the bread, then smothering it in butter and eating it all, bite by bite without another word.  She’s not usually a fan of crusts, but this loaf was so delicious that every last crumb was licked off the plate.  She was in the moment!  She finished off her lunch and left the table without asking for another slice. 

Mindfulness is all about being in the moment rather than trying to make sense of the past or planning for the future.  It has been said to improve daily life in the following ways:

1.        Chronic pain.  By being relaxed in the moment rather than worrying about the future, sufferers of chronic pain have been shown to produce less coritsol and more oxytocin which increases ‘relaxation’ chemicals in the brain.  Patients have been able to cope better with the pain.

2.       Anxiety and worry.  Mindfulness teaches people to notice when they’re worrying and to return to the moment by recognising what they can see, hear and feel now. 

3.       Eating issues.  Eating mindfully and appreciating everything from the feel of the cutlery to how you cut the food, the muscles you use to rise the food to your mouth, the texture, smell and savouring the taste of the meal as you chew it slowly can all reduce overeating.

4.       Household chores.  Mindfulness can put you deep in the moment of the chore you are doing, whether that be the dishes, vacuuming, hanging the washing or gardening.  Being appreciative of the objects or appliances you’re using, taking the time to look at your house or garden in detail and to take it all in.

5.       Being stuck in a traffic jam.  Turn a negative into a positive and use the time focus on the feeling of your hands on the steering wheel, the sun on your arms, if you’re alone in the car – the time for yourself, and the music on the radio.

6.       Relationships.  Mindfulness teaches you to recognise negative scripts in your head and gives you a chance to counter them with a more positive frame of mind before they have a chance to play themselves out to your partner.  This helps to improve your relationships

7.       Parenting.  Being a busy working parent it can be easy to dismiss the relentless questions that children have.  Busy routines mean that the day’s structure becomes important and time cannot be wasted.  But using mindfulness can help parents to be really present with their children and tune in to their needs.

According to Wikipedia:  “Mindfulness is gaining a growing popularity as a practice in daily life, apart from Buddhist insight meditation and its application in clinical psychology. Mindfulness may be seen as a mode of being, and can be practiced outside a formal setting.  In 2000, The Inner Kids Program, a mindfulness-based program developed for children, was introduced into public and private school curricula in the greater Los Angeles area.  In the U.S. business world, interest in mindfulness is rising strongly. Many companies are providing training programs in mindfulness. These include Fortune 500 companies (such as Raytheon, Procter & Gamble, Monsanto, General Mills, and Comcast) and others (such as BASF Bioresearch, Bose, New Balance, Unilever, and Nortel Networks).”

Do you use mindfulness in your daily life?  Have you seen the benefits of practicing mindfulness?  I’d love you to share your insights and experiences, so post a comment or send an email to livewelllivesmart@gmail.com .