What is Mindfulness?

My name is Megan Wharton and as a new volunteer at Axminster Health and Wellbeing Centre I welcomed the opportunity to experience a taster group session in Mindfulness. This experience gave me an insight into what the centre has to offer. The group engaged in two practice exercises which included the body scan and the raisin test. This allowed me to focus on a particular moment in time however I found it hard to focus and not let my mind wonder and I feel this may take practice!

Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully aware of our surroundings that allow people to enjoy a good quality of life while attempting to develop a non-judgemental awareness of their mind and body.  When you begin to practice mindfulness you will be taught to pay attention deliberately and as best you can try to become more aware of the actions that are taking place at that moment in time in your mind and body. Everyone has most likely experienced a difficult or troubling period of time throughout their lifetime and I have learnt that practising the act of mindfulness helps to lower certain levels of stress that people may experience in their daily lives as it gives people the opportunity to compartmentalize their feelings and try to focus on the moments that concern them immediately instead of being swamped with fears of the future. Mindfulness is all about becoming more aware of your senses and becoming more involved with the world around you which may include becoming aware of your thinking, emotions and even your breath. One of the most important aspects of mindfulness is to leave all your cares at the door and try your best to focus on the here and now while remembering that

 “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift”

Yesterday I took part in my first ‘taste of mindfulness’ I took part in what is known as the raisin test;

First, take a raisin and hold it in the palm of your hand or between your finger and thumb and focus on it.

Seeing

Take time to really see it; gaze at the raisin with care and full attention.

Let your eyes explore every part of it, seeing the contrasts between the dark and light areas

Touching

Turn the raisin over between your fingers, exploring its texture, maybe with your eyes closed if that enhances your sense of touch.

Smelling

Holding the raisin beneath your nose, with each inhalation drink in any smell, aroma, or fragrance that may arise, noticing as you do this anything interesting that may be happening in your mouth or stomach.

Placing

Now slowly bring the raisin up to your lips, noticing how your hand and arm know exactly how and where to position it. Gently place the object in the mouth, without chewing, noticing how it gets into the mouth in the first place. Spend a few moments exploring the sensations of having it in your mouth, exploring it with your tongue.

Tasting

When you are ready, prepare to chew the raisin, noticing how and where it needs to be for chewing. Then, very consciously, take one or two bites into it and notice what happens in the aftermath, experiencing any waves of taste that emanate from it as you continue chewing. Without swallowing yet, notice the bare sensations of taste and texture in the mouth and how these may change over time, moment by moment, as well as any changes in the object itself.

Swallowing

When you feel ready to swallow the raisin, see if you can first detect the intention to swallow as it comes up, so that even this is experienced consciously before you actually swallow the raisin.

Following

Finally, see if you can feel what is left of the raisin moving down into your stomach, and sense how the body as a whole is feeling after completing this exercise in mindful eating (Williams et al, 2007).

 

Poem

Consider the lilies of the field

how they grow:

Perfect in poise and balance.

So do wee birdies sing,

in utter exuberance, serene.

So would we sing:

making every moment of every day

an eternity of worship

and mirthful praise:

Love, Laughter and radiant similes. 

Michael Walton