Stress is an inevitable part of life, maybe even an inevitable part of daily life. Can you think of a day in your life that you did not feel any stress at all? Not one single moment where you tensed up just a tiny bit, or felt slightly upset? I certainly can’t. If stress isContinue reading “How Can Mindfulness Help with Stress?”
Tag Archives: calm
How Do I Get Centered?
When we slow down and observe our mind, we find that our mind is always pulling us in different directions. Future, past, happy, sad. “I like this, I don’t like that.” It’s like a pendulum that’s always swinging back and forth. The pendulum is always swinging, but there is a point that is not moving.Continue reading “How Do I Get Centered?”
How Do I Find Peace?
I’ve heard many people say that they want to learn mindfulness meditation because they want to have some peace in their lives. How do we find peace, and what does mindfulness have to do with peace? Peace comes from the Latin word “pax” which means “tranquility, absence of war.” Our lives can be very busyContinue reading “How Do I Find Peace?”
How is Letting Go Different from Suppression?
We’ve all seen pictures of meditators looking serene and calm, like nothing bothers them. In pop culture, there’s an image of meditation being a “special place” where we are free from negative thoughts and emotions. But that is simply a myth. When we first start practicing mindfulness meditation, we naturally think we’re supposed to getContinue reading “How is Letting Go Different from Suppression?”
How Does Mindfulness Work?
Mindfulness works on a number of levels: On a physiological level, mindfulness practice activates the relaxation response: Your heart rate drops, breathing slows down, blood pressure drops, and you feel calmer and more relaxed. In other words, this is activation of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the “rest and digest response.” OnContinue reading “How Does Mindfulness Work?”
How Do I Calm Down My Wandering Mind?
Being distracted and unfocused during meditation is very common. Having a wandering mind during meditation is very common. It doesn’t mean that you are doing it wrong, or that you are “not cut out for mindfulness meditation.” It’s OK that many thoughts come up and distract us during meditation. The mindfulness technique is to noticeContinue reading “How Do I Calm Down My Wandering Mind?”
How Do I Silence My Mind?
Mindfulness is nonjudgmental awareness of present moment. It’s not about getting rid of thoughts. It’s not about silencing the mind. It’s not about keeping thoughts away or preventing thoughts from arising. It’s about noticing when thoughts come up, and letting them go. We do this over and over and over again, with patience and compassionContinue reading “How Do I Silence My Mind?”
Mindfulness FAQ 