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So, after hearing about all the benefits of mindfulness over the past few weeks including research and empirical data, we may be willing to consider trying this thing out. But how? How do we practice mindfulness?
Mindfulness practice is often discussed interchangeably with formal meditation. While all meditation is mindfulness, not all mindfulness is meditation. Mindfulness can be practiced while doing other things, while meditation requires a quiet and still place.
An easy place to start is with breathing. Meditation and mindfulness practices both focus on breathing, and there are many ways to do this . . . and there is no RIGHT way.
Sometimes we focus on the breath without trying to control it. Allow it to be how it is — whether shallow or deep or rapid or slow. Just observe it.
Sometimes we begin a breathing exercise of controlled breathing — breathing deeply through the diaphragm and counting the length of the inhales, the exhales, and the pauses between. We often promote a longer exhale than inhale as this engages the vagus nerve which activates the parasympathetic nervous system and promotes relaxation.
Mindfulness while doing other things involves becoming immersed in the task. We are not waiting for it to be over or watching the clock or calculating how much we have done and how much we have left. Have you ever been engrossed in an activity and then lost track of time? This is what we are going for.