Holistic Awareness
We all have challenges quieting the mind and managing our reactions and responses to various stressors in our environment. Our brain is hardwired for survival and therefore it is prone to creating basic plans, contingency plans and even revisiting the past to sort through what went wrong and how we can do things differently in the future. Almost as if we are on autopilot, we are constantly living in the past and the future – neither of which is the present moment.
Being present involves a level of consciousness that is rooted in the moment. Mindfulness practice encourages (and challenges) individuals to bring their attention to that which they are focusing on, and allowing other thoughts to come and go while they consistently bring their attention back to their chosen focus.
Why is this so important?
There is an interwoven connection between the mind and the body. Humans are not one or the other, but both, and. What often happens is that we allow our minds to take control and forget to practice noticing what happens for us physically when we experience the world around us. When we allow for mindfulness practice to take place, with an emphasis in bringing awareness to our bodies, we immediately start to take control over our thoughts and strengthen the connection between the mind-body.
How can you do this?
The first step is re-introducing yourself to your awareness. Your body processes emotions and sensations (sick feeling in the stomach, tightness in the chest, tightening of the throat, etc.) before the mind integrates the information and formulates a conclusion. Sometimes the body signals to you only moments before you react such as an elevated heart rate and tense shoulders before you lash out in anger, or, a sick feeling in our stomach that lasts weeks until you are able to have that difficult conversation with a loved one.
How does this help with runaway thoughts?
The more practice you have at initiating control over the focus of your thoughts, the better you will become at quieting the part of the mind that is not helpful for you.
Self-Awareness Exercise:
*Set a timer on your phone for several times a day (morning/afternoon/evening).
*When the timer goes off, take 6-10 deep breaths. Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 2-3 seconds, breathe out through your mouth for 8 seconds. When you take your time on your out breath you actually trigger your parasympathetic nervous system which is what calms you – it is the opposite of the fight-or-flight response.
*After your deep breathing, do a body scan. Start from the tip of your head and slowly scan your body all the way down to your toes. Just notice different sensations in your body. All you do here is notice, without judgment. This is key. If you notice anything unpleasant, place your hand there and do more deep breathing and visualize the breath going to that area.
*As you do this exercise, practice being present in the moment. Be sure to count your way through the breathing (this can be in your head or out loud) and when noticing the sensations in your body, really encourage yourself to tune in. Can you hear your heartbeat? Can you feel your heart pumping life force from your chest through your body? Can you feel any tingling sensations? Do parts of your body feel warm while others feel cool?
*** This body awareness exercise should only take a few minutes. After it is complete, carry on with your day until the next time your timer goes off and then repeat these steps again ***
The more attuned you become to your whole self, your mind-body, the more you will begin to understand that you receive messages and information that will help you de-code some of the things that feel scary or confusing when it comes to your emotions. Using this exercise in conjunction with the feelings wheel (you can find this in a previous blog post) can lead to a powerful practice of self-awareness. Self-awareness is linked to a high-functioning immune system, better relationships, more resiliency and more overall life satisfaction.
