Mindfulness and Meditation

When you hear the word mindfulness, what comes to mind? Perhaps the term conjures up a notion of introspection, reflection, and stillness. Or perhaps you think of respect – for yourself, your experience of the world, and of others. In fact, mindfulness embodies all of these things. It’s a state, a practice, and more recently an important therapeutic method. Mindfulness is about being open to your thoughts, emotions, and actions in the present moment – without judgement and with full acceptance.

Mindfulness is being used more and more by therapists, life coaches, and health wellness community to help individuals overcome pain, trauma, emotional struggles, and behavioral issues. In my practice at Soul Growth Counseling , I incorporate mindfulness into much of my therapy. I’ve seen some wonderful outcomes from engaging clients in therapeutic mindfulness, including overcoming anxiety, relieving depression, and pushing aside negative self-talk.  

Meditation and Mindfulness 

One of my favourite techniques is to use meditation to facilitate and grow mindfulness. If you’re new to meditation, at its basic it means a slowing of the mind to develop and encourage clarity, positive thoughts, and concentration.

The effects of meditation on the mind, body, and soul can be significant. Meditation can:

·       decrease anxiety, stress, and depression,

·       improve emotional stability,

·       make problems seem smaller,

·       improve the body’s immunity, and

·       decrease pain and inflammation. 

Mindfulness meditation recognizes the benefits of meditation and uses its techniques to foster and develop a sense of mindfulness. It is a way of meditating that helps us learn to become unconditionally present and more non-judgmental about whatever life throws at us.

Are you convinced? If so, let’s talk about how you can practice mindfulness meditation.

How to practice mindfulness meditation at home

Mindfulness meditation is easy, accessible, and can have a big impact on your overall well being. Here are some tips on how to find your place of tranquility:

1.     The first step in mindfulness meditation is to set up your space so that your body is relaxed. Find a pillow that you can comfortably sit on.

2.     Sit upright with your legs crossed. Soften your gaze and look ahead, without fixating on any particular item. Place your hands face down on your thighs. 

3.     Turn your attention to your breath. Focus on your breath as it moves in and out of your body. Notice your thoughts as they come up, without judgement and without attaching to them. Let them go and keep breathing. The goal isn’t to try to stop thinking, it’s to accept your thoughts, to be present with yourself, and to let go of preconceived notions of how we ought to think or be.

If mindfulness and meditation is something that interests you, contact me today to discuss how you can benefit from adding it into your life.

And, to learn about out other ways you can practice mindfulness at home, check out my blog post called 10 Ways to Practice Mindfulness at Home.

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Strategies to Overcome Negative Self-Talk

We’ve all done it: we look at ourselves in the mirror and right away our mind jumps to negative thoughts. We see ourselves as too big, too thin, too tall, too short, unloveable, and unworthy. At Soul Growth Counseling, I hear this a lot. It’s a common concern, and one that most of us have been guilty of at some point.

When these negative thoughts crop up, we’re presented with several options. We can follow the line of thoughts down to a place of self-doubt and harsh criticism; or, we can let the thoughts go and focus on the beauty we find in its place.

When faced with this situation, it’s likely that we want to push the negative thoughts away. Yet, while the choice seems clear, squashing negative thoughts can be a difficult thing to do. For some, it may even seem impossible. What happens when we are paralyzed or overwhelmed by our own negative self-talk? How can we cope, and what can we do to break free from the cycle? Well, first, let’s discuss what negative self-talk is.

What is negative self-talk?

Negative self-talk is defined as the expression – either aloud or silently – of feelings that are disparaging, harmful, and demoralizing. Negative self-talk can have a detrimental affect on your self-esteem and confidence and is a major contributor to anxiety. Negative self-talk is the result of long-held fears or skewed beliefs of oneself – rather than a reflection of our true being.

Does this resonate with you? Does you’re internal chatter do more harm than good? If so, there are strategies that can help you overcome this habit.

 Strategies to overcome negative self-talk

There are several things you can do at home, and on a day-to-day basis, that will help to squash those negative thoughts as they appear:

1.     Set an intention to speak nicely to yourself. Formulating and writing down intentions is a wonderful way to start to break old habits that you no longer need. Commit, in writing, to be kind to yourself and you’ll find that you’re one step closer to healing.

2.     Give your negative voice a name. Being aware of your inner demeaning chatter is helpful for overcoming it. If you give your negative self-talk voice a name, you can start to disentangle it from who you really are, and tell it to go away.

3.     Think about what your friends would say. Would your friends say you’re being too hard on yourself? Would they say that you’re overthinking it? Would they say that people have made mistakes much bigger than yours? Remember that you are your own harshest critic, and people love you for who you are.

4.     Talk to yourself as you would talk to your friends. Conversely, don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone you love.

How to know when it’s gone too far

If negative self-talk is paralyzing your life, there are therapeutic treatment options available to you. You don’t need to live under the control of these thoughts, and you don’t need to struggle through them alone. At Soul Growth Counseling , I offer a variety of services that will help you overcome negative self-talk and free up your time to focus on living your best life. Contact me Today for a free consultation.

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