When we go to our healthcare provider, we often expect to receive a medication.  A pill…liquid…injectable medication.  It is what most of us know…it is the expected treatment.  What would your response be if your healthcare provider recommended practicing mindfulness? Told you Mindfulness is Medicine.

Your first question might be, “what is mindfulness?”; followed closely by “How much time/money do I need to practice it?”  In this blog, we will answer these questions and discuss how mindfulness is medicine.

Mindfulness is simply defined as “Mindfulness is awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally,” by Jon Kabat-Zinn, a renowned scientist responsible for creating the Mindfulness based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program at University of Massachusetts School of Medicine.  We live in a busy, frantic world where we spend more time thinking about the past or considering the future.  Mindfulness is about the here and now, using our 5 senses, noticing – without judgement – the thoughts, emotions and sensations that we are experiencing.

Science tells us that practicing mindfulness:

• Reduce pain and emotional reaction to it;

• Improves mood and quality of life in chronic pain conditions

• Improves working memory, creativity, attention span, reaction speeds

• Improves emotional intelligence

• Reduces anxiety, stress, depression, exhaustion, and irritability

• Reduces addictive and self-destructive behaviors

• Enhances brain function, building areas affiliated with self-awareness, empathy, self-control, and attention

• Improves immune system

• Improves blood sugar control in type II diabetes

• Reduces BP, lowering risk of hypertension

You can find more information here.

Mindfulness requires no money (or objects) to practice AND surprisingly small amounts of time practicing make a tremendous difference on your health and well-being.  Mindfulness really is a simple practice, but it does take practice to cultivate the full benefits.

Here are3 really simple ways to add mindfulness into your day.

Mindful Eating – take 20 minutes to enjoy a meal.  Use all 5 senses to experience the meal.  Chew slowly and deliberately, putting your fork down between bites.  Notice the thoughts, emotions, sensations you experience as you eat!

Mindful Movement – next time you take a walk, use all 5 senses.  Really look around you.  Listen to the sounds around you [don’t listen to music].  Notice the sensation in your body as you take each step.  Notice your breath as you walk.

Mindfulness in Nature – Sit quietly in a natural area [garden, park, yard].  Use all 5 senses.  Close your eyes and listen to the sounds – listen newly as though you haven’t heard them before.  Open your eyes and look newly.  What do you smell or even taste?  What sensations do you experience in your body – sun/wind on skin, bottom on bench/ground.

Try these 3 activities and SEE how Mindfulness is Medicine for YOU!