Learn mindfulness

Learning mindfulness

"I think, therefore I am," the French philosopher René Descartes once said. And it seems that the whole world sees it the same way. There is thinking and pondering, something constantly swirling through the mind. How would it feel if the mind were completely quiet for a while? If you learn mindfulness, you can experience this. And will love the feeling.

Hectic times cause stress. To prevent it from becoming harmful to your health, you can book a wide variety of relaxation courses at Holmes Place's Premium Clubs. Well-trained trainers support you in really finding peace. So that you can better deal with stressful situations.

What is mindfulness?

"Think about nothing for a moment." This well-intentioned advice is a daunting challenge for many people. The mind is too lively, too many thoughts swirling around inside it. Important thoughts, many of them troubling or full of worry. How can one think of nothing? After all, the thoughts don't ask if they are wanted, they are just there.

This is exactly where mindfulness comes in. The word means to always be in the here and now. To direct one's concentration on what one is doing or experiencing at the moment. And not to judge anything. This sounds much easier than it is, because most of the time, when people are doing something, they are thinking about something completely different. But this prevents them from being truly satisfied.

Learning mindfulness is worthwhile, because it not only helps us to find peace of mind, but it also makes us generally more relaxed, allows us to cope better with challenges and also trains compassion - for others, but also for ourselves. 

The concept of mindfulness originated in Buddhism, but it has nothing to do with religion. Its effectiveness is proven, and you quickly feel that something changes.

This is what mindfulness training is all about

It is often the case that we see something and immediately evaluate it. We react positively or negatively to it and associate that with feelings, such as anger. When we learn mindfulness, we practice accepting feelings. This helps us to become more calm. Practicing is about simply noticing these feelings without reacting to them in any way. They are there and eventually they will go away. This awareness can help break old thought patterns and behaviors.

Mindfulness exercises

"No time" is no longer an excuse, because many of the exercises take only a few moments. And they are still very effective. Another advantage: they can be easily integrated into everyday life and you don't need any equipment to do them.

Walk consciously: When we are on our way from A to B, we rarely take our time. We want to arrive as quickly as possible, right? With this mindfulness exercise, it's different. There is no need for speed here. The next time you go shopping, why not give it a try? Take each step with awareness. Notice how your feet touch the ground, feel the muscles that make the steps possible. Keep your mind completely on the movement. Keep your eyes on the ground about one to two feet in front of you. Keep your arms still. Say to yourself in your mind "lower" when you place your foot on the floor and "raise" when you release it from the floor. Take small steps. When thoughts come, notice them and then let them float on like a cloud. A few minutes of walking meditation is all it takes. Tip: Walk barefoot sometimes. 

Pause: Day is hectic and there's hardly a moment to catch your breath? Then you should try this exercise. Take a minute. Stand and just notice the flow of your breath. In and out, in and out. Feel into your body and into your mind. How are you feeling? How do you feel? No matter what feelings arise in you: Don't judge them, just observe.

Taste: Perhaps you have heard of the raisin method. In this exercise, you devote yourself in detail to a single raisin. Notice its texture and aroma, then take a bite and feel the taste. While doing this, you chew thoroughly. You don't have to do this with a raisin. But you can pay close attention to your lunch for this exercise. Look at the meal before you take the first bite. What does it look like, what colors does it have? Then smell it. And take the first bite that you feel good about. Chew long and thoroughly. You don't have to do this with the whole meal, but take the time to enjoy a few bites this way.

A variation is "blind tasting." Blindfold yourself and have a partner give you something to eat without knowing what it is. How does it smell, what might it be? Take a bite in your mouth and notice the texture and taste. Chew thoroughly and feel the different flavors. Can you guess what you are eating?

Breathe: We do this continuously, day after day, all our lives. We don't even notice it. Reason enough to change that. Sit down relaxed and close your eyes. Focus your concentration on your breath. Observe how the air flows through the nostrils into the body, how the chest and abdomen arch and then lower again when you exhale. Concentrate exclusively on the breath. 

Perceive what you do

In the near future, pay attention to what you do in the course of the day and try to do some of these activities consciously and with full concentration. This also helps, because every moment in the here and now acts as a brooding brake. 

Learning mindfulness in yoga

By the way, a very good way to learn mindfulness is yoga. Here, it is explicitly about concentrating on the breath and being aware of one's body. By the way, it is also a wonderful way to come to rest. You can learn it, for example, in a course at the Holmes Place clubs. You can choose from classical yoga for different levels, Ashtanga yoga (sweaty and strenuous), Yoga Vinyasa (a posture sequence that synchronizes breathing and movement and is combined with flowing movements) and Yoga Flow (here the exercises flow into each other). We also offer meditation classes.