Practising Mindfulness to help SA

[Marie8]

My counsellor wants me to practise mindfulness before the next session. I'm still a little confused by it and how exactly to do it. I understand it as being more in the moment, taking in my surroundings, the sounds and smells etc. but then I get a bit confused about what I'm supposed to do.

Could anyone give me any tips and examples of mindfulness?

[Marco]

Hi Marie, I think going for a good walk somewhere quiet and rural and just switching off and enjoying the scenery qualifies as mindfulness. It works for me anyway, and the added bonus is it's good exercise.

[Aelwyn]

I'm no great authority on this, but for what it's worth, you're right that mindfulness is about being in the moment, and not letting your usual thought patterns take over. (Like the ones that tell you you're boring, unattractive, etc. etc., and which are not "The Truth" but just your feeling at a particular time, often just a habit you've got into). You can try to sit quietly for 15 minutes and just observe those thoughts, without getting carried away by them. When you see that you are being sucked into them, just gently return to the neutral observing. This is sometimes called puppy training, as you have to be gentle and patient with yourself.

Another type of meditation is awareness of sensations. (Again the point is to start to free you from your usual way of thinking and acting). A classic one is eating a raisin - you don't just chomp it as usual, but eat it slowly and with full attention, noticing the texture, shape, sweetness, how you move it around your mouth, and so on. Or you could do a walking meditation, where you walk with full attention to the sensations in your feet.

There's lots of info and meditation suggestions on the internet. Here is an excellent meditation which is a "body scan", it's about noticing sensations in your body.

https://archive.org/details/MCullenBodyScanMeditation

[Selkie]

Ruby Wax has done a good book on mindfulness that includes a 6-week course with exercises:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mindfulness.../dp/024118648X

[Mr. Nobody]

Take whatever free, relaxed time you have and sit in a relaxed but positive posture,
Maybe sit upright in a chair with your back straight and both feet on the floor, or whatever you feel suits a calm but alert mindset
then, just relax and become aware of you breath,
Either watch it, tune into the feel of the cool breath coming in through your nostrils or watch it, be alert to the feel of it in your abdomen,
Watch closely as it comes in, and then flows out,
Stay with the sensation, the feel of the air coming in and flowing out,
This is your life-breath, this is what's keeping you alive, so its worth paying attention to it,
Don't stress or get anxious over it, just be aware of what's going on all the time,
The more you pay attention to your breath, the more harmonious it's rhythm will become,
The more harmonious it's rhythm becomes, the more calm and attentive you will be,
That harmony, that calm attention, will grow and grow and a bubbling energy will slowly fill your body,
Don't chase or hanker after anything, just appreciate the growing attentiveness and growing energy,

Afterwards, you will feel refreshed and invigorated by the shift in attention, in intesity and in energy,..
And this is available any time you feel available to it, or for it.

This is the form of mindfulness I have been taught,

[Mountainstream]

Thanks for this thread. I was also wondering about this.