What Is an Awe Walk?

An awe walk is any easy-pace walk in an inspiring environment. The movement began in 2020 when a study found that walking while admiring what’s around you — also known as feeling a sense of awe at the world — enhances positive emotions that prolong your lifespan. Your mental health improves while your body benefits from the extra exercise.

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Benefits of Outdoor Walking for Exercise 

People sometimes think walking isn’t as helpful for your body as more intense workout routines. If you take an awe walk at least a few times each week, you’ll enjoy these benefits:

• Your risk of cardiovascular disease will decrease because your heart will get stronger.
• You’ll manage your blood pressure more easily because walking regulates low blood pressure naturally.
• Your mental health will improve because walking outdoors reduces stress and anxiety while boosting your sense of optimism.

If you think you would benefit from these positive effects of walking in an inspirational outdoor setting, it’s time to get moving. Anyone can walk more during the week by choosing their preferred locations and shifting their schedule around.

How to Do an Awe Walk

Awe walks prioritize getting active in a beautiful location. These are some of the best ways to add this type of exercise to your weekly schedule.

1. Save Time in Your Day

Consider when you have free time during your day. When would a quick 30-minute walk fit most naturally into your schedule? You can also pick a time based on when you have the most energy. If you work alongside your body’s circadian rhythm, you’ll feel more excited to maintain your new routine.

2. Pick a Location You Love

Destinations are the foundations of awe walks. You won’t enjoy your time as much if you’re walking through an area full of trash, foul odors or overcrowded walkways.

If you live near a park, visit its trails for a quick getaway. Anyone who lives close to a beach could enjoy an awe walk on the sand while the sun decreases your depression with its extra vitamin D. Reflect on where you feel the most relaxed to create a list of potential places for easygoing strolls.

3. Start With Mindfulness

When you finally arrive at your favorite outdoor location, stand still for a moment. Notice what’s happening around you. If you’re at the beach, you might take your shoes off and wiggle your toes in the sand. Notice how the tiny granules feel against your skin compared to the salty touch of the wind on your face.

What do you hear? Are there birds calling across your path or people chatting nearby? Maybe you can hear leaves rustling and water lapping against a lakeshore. Allow yourself to take these sounds in for a few minutes to feel more present for your walk.

4. Minimize Distractions

Distractions happen even in the most serene environments. Your thoughts might start focusing on what you need to do when you get back home or whatever’s happening at work. If pinpointing the sounds, smells and textures around you doesn’t help, wear headphones.

You could try listening to white noise during your walk. Research shows that it improves a person’s attention skills by changing their brain’s level of arousal. An app or website that plays white noise during your stroll could block distractions so you can focus on your awe walk.

If you need help guiding your thoughts, try meditating for the duration of your walk. All you have to do is repeat a meaningful phrase or time your slow breaths. As long as your mind focuses on that singular task, distractions will be less of a challenge.

5. Regulate Your Breathing

Deep breathing is more powerful than you might think. When researchers studied people taking slow, deep breaths in stressful situations, they found that it reduced stress and blood pressure.

Guide your breathing by counting to four with each inhale. Hold for another four seconds and release for four seconds. You can also adjust the time with how much oxygen you need based on your walking pace.

You may also enjoy following a meditative breathing podcast or listening to a guided video during your stroll. Once you get the hang of the routine that works best for you, you can do it yourself anywhere you want to relax.

6. Journal About Your Experience

You might have an incredible awe walk one day and return to your responsibilities with less anxiety. However, it’s easy to forget the lessons or epiphanies you had after you get back to your busy schedule. Journaling is a great way to remember your walking experiences.

Use your phone to quickly note whatever you experienced on your most recent walk before going home. If you want to expand on your thoughts later, you can always open that note to resume your journaling. Your logs could help you watch your self-growth over time or even note if certain locations felt more relaxing than others.

Potential Places to Walk

Remember, there are so many great places to enjoy an awe walk. Reflect on where you live and what’s around you. Do you have a car to drive to new spots, want to carpool with a friend or need walking destinations close to public transportation?

Check out these potential walking destinations as you figure out where you best connect with nature:

• Your neighborhood
• A local hiking trail
• A nearby beach
• A lake close to your home

Invite friends or loved ones to new places if you’re exploring potential awe-walk locations. You’ll have more fun adventuring through your local area with your favorite people. They may even get inspired by your new exercise goal and start awe walks too.

Enjoy Your New Gentle Exercise Routine

Awe walks are easy ways to exercise more, improve your physical health and boost your mental health. Use this guide to start your new weekly routine and get more in touch with the environment as you work on reducing your stress.

The post How to Take an Awe Walk and Why You Should Try It appeared first on Declutter The Mind.

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What is Merkaba Meditation – The Definition of Merkaba

Merkaba — also spelled “Merkabah” or “Merkahbah” — is the Hebrew word for “chariot” in the book of Ezekiel. It usually refers to the throne of God, describing a vehicle in which many angels escort him to appear in front of others. This is the best description of the word itself, but its application in meditation is slightly different.

In meditation, Merkaba holds three meanings — “Mer” stands for light, “Kah” stands for spirit and “Bah” means body. While it is unclear what language this is directly translated from, those who practice meditation connect this term to Egyptian symbolism.

In Egypt, Mer means pyramid. It’s believed that the Great Pyramid is a monument ascending to the sun in the sky, toward light. It’s also a nod to the intricate pattern of the ancient Merkaba star. Apart from being a three-dimensional star tetrahedron, it appears to have two pyramids entwined with one another.

Meanwhile, Kah refers to a state of life that sets apart the living from the dead. It is a part of you that has a creative life force or — quite simply — a spirit. It is often confused with Bah, the soul and strength that a person possesses.

Understanding Merkaba Meditation

Merkaba meditation has extremely rich origins and showcases this meditation practice’s complexity. Everyone tends to have their own interpretation. Essentially, it’s a spiritual vehicle that’s used to navigate your own personal energy field.

In essence, each person has their own Merkaba. While it is not physical, meditating with the thought of the revered tetrahedron shape gives you a sense of direction. It can lead you to connect with the universe and nature, dubbed “sacred geometry.” This is because its interconnected lines mimic the spiritual state of what’s actually in your environment.

Under sacred geometry, humans already have an existing relationship with all things in this plane. However, different variables enter a person’s energy field daily. They may feel stressed physically, mentally and spiritually.

As a result, it can be difficult to be attuned to this form of the environment. Tapping into the Merkaba meditation techniques can refresh your energy field and enrich your view of the universe in nature. It’s possible to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and the sacred geometry that surrounds you.

Questions Raised on Merkaba Meditation

Those who have tried out Merkaba meditation may share tales of astral travel, time travel, psychic abilities and more. However, there’s little scientific evidence of this, which is more than understandable. It can be difficult to document such experiences.

Another thing to highlight is that people who practice meditation have had negative experiences. Accounts may describe that they’ve reached a place of darkness or absolute emptiness after such reflection. Some may feel comforted by such discoveries, but others find themselves troubled.

A study finds that 30.6% of people who had no religious belief had a higher chance of going through such an encounter. There’s also the matter of how long they’ve been meditating and whether they’ve been to a meditation retreat before.

Merkaba meditation can work, but the end results can differ from person to person. If you are looking to try it out, preparation is extremely crucial. It’s also recommended to look into meditation practices as a preventative measure rather than a treatment solution.

Seeing the Positives of Merkaba Meditation

Those who want to try out Merkaba meditation may still experience many advantages. Everyone’s background and experience differ. Thus, how you approach and benefit from this meditation practice can also vary.

Ease Depression Symptoms

About 20% of older adults deal with depression. This condition can affect one’s physical and mental health, specifically their heart and cognitive function. They have a higher risk for cardiovascular diseases and episodic memory.

Experiencing high stress and low self-esteem is a by-product of depression. Those who suffer from this disorder may also struggle with anxiety from time to time. Merkaba meditation can help you with managing your emotions and ease your mind.

Meditation helps you process information better. Slow yourself and your energy field down to improve your overall perception. Using your Merkaba can enhance your future response to the stressors that make you sad and restless.

Impact Weight Loss

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that 43% of people with depression suffer from obesity. While the Merkaba meditation primarily influences your mental and spiritual health, it can help with the physical aspect, too.

Essentially, people are either extrinsically or intrinsically motivated when losing weight.

Extrinsic motivation relates to superficial reasons for losing weight. They are what your environment influences you to want. For instance, society and the people around you dictate that being thinner will entail popularity and desirability.

Intrinsic motivation sees losing weight as a way of being more attuned to yourself. It’s knowing what your mind and body need. Undergoing meditation can help you have more intrinsic goals that will fuel your weight loss journey in the long run.

Balance Your Energy

Have you ever felt that things around you seem a little off? Do you tend to peer over your shoulder quite a bit? An imbalance in your own energy field, whether it’s from yourself or other factors around you, can increase your stress levels and paranoia. 

About 92% of Americans utilize meditation as a way of reducing stress. By trying out Merkaba meditation, you can clear yourself of negativity and center yourself. This also trickles into better sleep quality and calming your mind.

Attain Spiritual Growth

Merkaba is incredibly tied to one’s spiritual state. Undergoing meditation can offer immense personal growth. To some extent, people also liken Merkabah meditation to ascension, confronting the ultimate answer to life.

If you’re new to meditation practices, Merkaba can be overwhelming. There may even be a chance that you won’t encounter a portion of what other people have undergone. However, it still gives you experience on how to confront yourself and the universe around you.

Implore Healing

Meditation has helped with certain disorders, imploring people to collect themselves and focus. For example, practices have made their way to the likes of substance use disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Dr. Ariel Lang, the director of the Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, shares how veterans seek forms of meditation for their wellness program. She is transparent in noting that it may not work for some veterans but stresses having a variety of solutions.

Improve Cognition

Merkaba meditation involves deep mindfulness and openness. It’s different from our natural state, where our mind tends to wander and have spontaneous thoughts. It can be a breath of fresh air in terms of self-regulation.

Exercising sensory perception and meta-awareness as you meditate clears distractions in your mind. Zoning into your Merkaba can influence control over your cognitive function and well-being. If you want to better grasp your thought process and constant rumination, this form of meditation is worth a try.

Engaging in Merkaba Meditation

If you’ve come to terms with trying Merkaba meditation, the next question is where and how you’re going to approach this practice. Merkaba meditation can be more demanding as you really need to tap into your energy. There are some guided meditations online, or you can take on the practice yourself, but it’s best to research ahead of the experience.

Preparation

Having the right expectations about Merkaba meditation is important before proceeding. The first is to understand that the techniques are for everyone. While it has had many ties to Greek and Egyptian mythology along with Judaism or Christianity, it goes beyond culture and religion. Everyone can undergo and benefit from Merkaba meditation.

That being said, it can take some time. Certain meditation techniques may only require a minute or two from you, but Merkaba is not as instantaneous. It is a process that involves an abundance of time and patience. It can also be trial and error to experience the spiritual transformation of this practice as it requires so much focus.

Lastly, how a person experiences Merkaba can differ. Aside from how negative or experienced your dive into the universe and nature may be, your journey to getting there is different. Every person’s energy field is incredibly diverse. Even your own Merkaba is different. Thus, the outcome can be quite unique to you.

Breathing

Do you know how most meditation requires you to take one deep breath? Well, the Merkaba has 18 distinct breaths that you need to inhale and exhale. It’s important to take your time with each breath, inhaling for about seven or so seconds before you release.

Here’s an overview of what to visualize throughout the process:

• First breath: The first breath is to open up your heart and experience love for everything. Breathe from both nostrils and store your breath in your stomach, diaphragm and chest for a little bit. When you exhale, take it slow. Repeat this until you feel that you’ve experienced compassion for all.
• Second-fifth breath: Keep the same breathing style as the first breath.
• Sixth breath: For the sixth breath, you can still keep the same breathing style. However, 12 breaths are recommended for this. The first six prop your polarities, while the second set is meant to clear your electromagnetic system.
• Seventh breath: The seventh breath focuses more on inhaling, and storing the love you’ve been harnessing into your heart. While you may keep your breathing rhythm, you can let go of holding your breath.
• Eighth breath: The eighth breath encourages exhaling by releasing all the air in your lungs. This helps with releasing your energy.
• Ninth breath: Previous breaths focus on breathing from the diaphragm, but the ninth breath requires you to shift to the navel region.
• 10th breath: The 10th breath requires more control over your breathing, encouraging you to exhale through your lips.
• 11th breath: Combine both principles of the ninth and 10th breath, inhaling and exhaling with your navel as you form a hole with your lips.
• 12th-13th breath: Keep the same breathing style as the eleventh breath.
• 14th breath: The 14th breath calls you to breathe from your navel to the sternum, the center of your chest. Take in breaths that rhythmically make you expand.
• 15th breath: The 15th breath should be your entrance to the Merkaba experience. Breathe with your lips and relax.
• 16th-17th breath: Keep the same breathing style as the 15th breath, stabilizing your Merkaba.
• 18th breath: Your higher self takes the 18th breath as you traverse sacred geometry.

Hand Gestures

It’s important to practice mudras or hand gestures to direct the flow of our chakra energy. While they are used in some yoga practices, they are also quite essential to the Merkaba meditation. Throughout the first four breaths, your thumb swaps through your index, middle, ring and little finger as you control your chakra.

By the fifth and sixth breath, your thumb should be on your first finger. When you move to the seventh breath, have your thumb touch both your thumb and second finger together while keeping your palms upward. This position stays until the 13th breath.

By the 14th breath, meditators are encouraged to place their palms on top of one another for the rest of the practice. Men have their left palm over their right, while women do the opposite. 

Visualization

Visualization plays a big part throughout the Merkaba meditation. For the first part of the practice, you’re encouraged to visualize a white light beaming around your body. This light moves throughout your meditation process.

As you reach the 15th breath, where you enter your Merkaba, you should be aware of a tetrahedral shape in your spirit. Each tetrahedron appears to rotate on its own terms and speeds at this stage. As you continue the practice, you should focus on stabilizing and increasing the speed of those tetrahedrons.

Soul Intention

One last factor to remember for Merkaba meditation is knowing your soul intention. Being aware of what your higher self would respond to is paramount. That information can make the difference between connecting with your Merkaba and being unable to.

Step Closer to Enlightenment

Merkaba meditation is a spiritual practice with a variety of layers. While there may be doubts surrounding its overall effectiveness, people can find solace in this practice. Just venture with an open mind.

Beth is the mental health editor at Body+Mind. She has 5+ years of experience writing about behavioral health, specifically mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Beth also writes about the power of human design to reveal our potential. You can find her on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth Rush.

The post What Is Merkaba Meditation? appeared first on Declutter The Mind.

Do mindfulness activities help kids? Experts say yes. Studies on the impact of mindfulness in classrooms have shown that the practice boosts academic performance, increases optimism, and calms anxiety. Learning mindfulness early in life will help kids grow up to be healthy adults with a strong grasp on stress management.

While it may be difficult to get an anxious child to sit still and meditate for half an hour, there’s a variety of other activities you can try. If you’re looking for mindfulness activities for kids, here are 16 ideas.

16 mindfulness activities for kids to try out

1. Blow some bubbles

Kids love bubbles! Have your kids breathe in slowly and then relax as they exhale into the bubble wand. Tell them to visualize their anxious thoughts inside the bubble and watch as the bubble floats away into the air and pops. After the bubble is gone, so are the kids’ worries. This exercise is a good way to teach your kids about mindful breathing, which can help them calm down quickly in stressful situations. 

Blowing bubbles is also a mindful activity. It gets kid out of their heads and focus on blowing bubbles. Want to challenge them and get them to focus more? Challenge them to blow the biggest bubble they can! Watch as they light up with attempt after attempt.

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2. Focus on the 5 senses

Teach your kids how to be present in the moment by using their senses. This classic mindfulness exercise distracts them from their worries by forcing them to engage with their immediate surroundings. Taking a minute to focus on each sense can slow down racing, anxious thoughts.

To perform the 5 senses exercise, kids will need to look around and ask themselves the following questions:

1. What can I see?
2. What can I hear?
3. What can I smell?
4. What can I feel?
5. What can I taste?

Introduce props and even things they may have never smelled, heard, seen, or felt before. Showing them pictures of unique animals foreign to your country, for example. Give them the prop, ask them to use their senses to describe the object in detail. Is the object rough or soft? Is it heavy or light? Does it smell good or bad? 

3. Draw it out

Drawing is one of the most fun mindfulness activities for kids. Tell your kids to close their eyes and think of something that makes them happy. Once they have decided on something, give them a notebook and some crayons and ask them to draw it.

While they are drawing, ask them to think about how it feels to hold the crayon. Next, tell them to focus on the texture of the paper. Ask them to describe the colors they are using in the picture. This will calm the kids’ anxious thoughts by pointing their full focus towards the act of drawing. 

Encourage your child to describe what they’re drawing as they’re drawing out loud. You’ll also notice that they might become distracted and talk about other things as they draw. When this happens, gently ask them to describe what they’re doing. “What are you doing now?” “Which part are you drawing now?” Have them describe the process of their drawing with you.

4. Enjoy a mindful snack

Teach your kids the practice of mindful eating by giving them a healthy snack, such as an apple or a granola bar. Before they eat the tasty treat, ask them to take a moment to look it over, focusing on its shape and color. Have them describe how the snack feels in their hands. After they take a bite, tell them to think about the flavor and texture of the treat. 

Mindful eating has several benefits. In addition to calming down anxiety, studies show that this practice can help prevent poor eating behaviors, such as binge eating, by allowing the body to more easily recognize fullness. Focusing on the experience can also make a snack seem more enjoyable.

You can even make a game out of trying new foods. Ask them to be a judge on a game show describing the flavor in great deal and giving it a score out of 10.

5. Go out for a stroll

Physical activity can reduce stress levels, so take your kids for a walk around the neighborhood to burn some energy. Kids don’t need to know it’s a walking meditation for it to be a mindful experience. This is one of the easiest mindfulness activities for kids as well as an excellent opportunity to teach them how to enjoy nature and appreciate their surroundings. Plus, kids already have a ton of energy, so it can be challenging to keep them still for longer than a few minutes while you try to go through mindfulness exercises with them!

While you are out, have them describe some of the things they see. Ask them to notice and point out any noises or sounds. Get them to point out any smells. Ask them to call the colors they see. To make it more like a game and more fun (while sneaking in some mindfulness training) call out the colors of the rainbow and have them point out or identify the objects that are the color you call out. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple.

6. Practice buddy breathing

The concept of mindful breathing exercises might be difficult for young kids to grasp, so enlist the help of a favorite teddy bear. Have your kids lie down on their backs. Place a stuffed animal on each kid’s belly and ask them to gently place their hands over it. Count to 3 and instruct them to breathe in through their noses. As they inhale, tell them to focus on the feeling of the air inflating their bellies. Count to 4 and have them breathe out through their mouths. The stuffed animals will rise up as they breathe in and fall as they breathe out, providing a good visual representation of what is going on inside of their bodies.

Deep breathing is a fantastic mindfulness exercise. A recent study from the University of Waterloo found that mindful breathing boosts brain function and energy levels. It also relaxes the mind and body, so teaching this exercise allows anxious kids to calm themselves down quickly.

7. Make your own stress balls

This fun craft has the added benefit of giving your kids an excellent mindfulness tool. Take colorful balloons and insert a funnel in the neck. Help your kids carefully pour in the filling of your choice. Try flour, sand, or cornstarch for squishy stress balls. You can also use dry rice or birdseed for a firmer texture and a less messy experience.

Once the balloons are filled, tie them up and let the kids decorate the outside with paint or stickers. Stress balls allow kids to physically relieve any negative feelings with just a squeeze. They are also great as an object to focus on while meditating.

8. Feel the beat

Encourage your kids to let out some energy by doing jumping jacks or running in place for 30 seconds. After they are done, have them sit down, close their eyes, and place a hand over their hearts. Tell them to focus their full attention on how their heartbeats feel. Ask them if they can feel their heartbeats slowing down as they rest. Next, have them focus on their breathing. Ask them to notice a deep breath versus the body breathing on its own. End the exercise by encouraging them to share any other physical sensations they are feeling. This is a great exercise for teaching mindfulness to elementary school students since it combines something physical with something that encourages mindful awareness.

9. Journaling with prompts

Teach mindfulness through a simple writing activity for kids. Bring out their favorite color construction paper and crayon and leave them a simple prompt to write and draw from: “Today I feel…” Ensure you let them know there’s no right or wrong answer here. Even drawing a sun is a way for a child to mindfully express how they feel.

Leave them a different color paper for each today of the week, with the prompt already written out for them. They can do this in the morning, or after they come back from school. Once the activity becomes a routine for them, this is something they can do privately and for fun. Instead of just sensing or perceiving these feelings, they start putting them to paper and giving them a name. It will teach kids to become more familiar with the various feelings they have throughout the day while practicing mindfulness.

10. Simple and fun body scan

While a formal meditation practice can be challenging for kids, a simple body scan that you guide a child through can be one of many fun mindfulness activities you teach children. Have your child sit and close their eyes and start the “body scan game”. Next, have your child use their hand to make contact with different points of the body that you prompt them to touch. It’s probably easier that the first time you have them do this, they do this mindfulness practice with their eyes open watching you do it.

“Hand to top of head. What does the top of the head feel like? Is it warm? It is hairy? Is it soft? Is it round?”

“Hand to belly. What does the belly feel like? Are the clothes soft? Is the belly itchy?”

And continue to guide them through fun prompts and silly names and descriptions for body parts. All while asking them what does the part feel like in the present moment.

11. Mindful listening

This mindfulness practice for kids takes a bit of preparation but it’s one of the closest things to a formal mindfulness practice and meditation that a child of any young age can do. It can even be a way to introduce mindfulness to younger students.

There are two ways to setup a fun mindful listening activity. The first is to simply have the kids sit either with their eyes opened or closed, and listen to different common animal sounds and have them write out or say the animals they heard. Paying attention with just one sense is a great way to be more mindful and have students learn about mindfulness.

The other mindful listening exercise you can try requires more setup and turns this activity into a fun game. You play two identical sound clips, except add a subtle sound effect to one of them and ask the kids to write down or call out the difference in both clips. For example, you could play a short 10-second audio clip of people playing basketball. But the second time you play it, you add a windchime sound effect in the middle of it. Mindfulness activities for kids can be games. If you find some age groups just aren’t as engaged in practicing mindfulness as others, try introducing some games.

12. Gratitude exercise

Practicing mindfulness isn’t just about the present moment and the senses. Mindfulness activities for kids can be grown up activities, too. Reminding your kids to think of the things they’re grateful for will not only teach mindfulness, but also invoke more positive emotions. Plus, it might even surprise the adults with the responses they get! You’d be surprised how bright and creative some of the answers are. It may even give you as an adult new things to be thankful for, and some perspective.

Make it a part of your daily routine with them. Either while having breakfast, picking them up from school, or putting them to bed at night. Simply ask “What are you thankful for today?” If they repeat a previous answer, ask “what else?” You can even follow-up with them “Why are you thankful for that?” or “How does being thankful for that make you feel?”. If your child is struggling for an answer, share with them who or what you’re thankful for first. You can also build a habit such as having your child create a drawing of their favorite moment of the day as part of a daily habit they do in the evening.

13. Mindfulness meditation for kids

Finally, formal meditation practices for kids do exist and can help with both getting kids to practice mindfulness and teaching mindfulness. However, I’d recommend exploring the other activities for kids listed earlier first before thinking about how to teach meditation to children. Meditation is an option when the child has practiced being present and mindfulness through the activities we mentioned earlier. There’s plenty of tools and resources to help you with this, but you could also try a simple 5 minute guided meditation practice from our app Declutter The Mind, and repurpose that for your child.

Here’s an easy and simple mindfulness meditation that incorporates deep breaths while still keeping it a fun mindfulness activity for kids.

1. Lie down on your back and rest your hands on your belly.
2. Take deep breaths and notice the rise and fall of the belly. Notice the hands riding the belly like a sailboat riding a wave.
3. “What are you thinking about?” If it’s something other than the practice, or sailboats and waves, bring it back to watching the hands ride the wave of the belly slowly. The hands like a sailboat on the belly.
4. Count the breaths as they pass. Each deep breath, 1. Each exhale, 2.
5. Finally, bring someone to mind that makes you happy. It can be real or fictional.
6. As you come to an end of the practice, wiggle your toes, arms, legs, and fingers.
7. Get up and smile.

14. Cloud watching

As part of trying to do some mindfulness activities for kids you can do exercises, such as cloud watching. Kids have wonderful imaginations, so you can ask them to describe what the clouds look like. Is it a dinosaur? A goblin? A silly face? Let them guide you through what they see when looking at the clouds.

Afterwards, you can introduce cloud watching to introduce meditation to them. You can explain that just as clouds float on by, thoughts in their head do the same thing. They come in and out of your head and are easy to change.

15. Yoga or stretching

To introduce mindfulness activities to kids, you can do this by having a yoga class for your students or doing a classroom stretching practice. Remind them that they can go as far as they can. If they can’t go all the way during a stretch it’s okay.

While they stretch ask them to tell you where in their body they feel the stretch to help them get in touch with their bodies to recognize where they feel the burn.

16. Feelings Check-in

As parents, it can be hard to recognize that when children are having emotional outbursts that they’re struggling to process their feelings. Having a feelings check-in when they’re suddenly upset, crying, or angry can help you recognize where the thought process is going astray in their heads.

As a parent, you’ll be able to help them look at problems in other ways to help them learn new alternative ways of thinking. But first, you need to understand where the frustration really stems from. You don’t want to assume what the problem is. For example, if you promised to buy ice cream later and then they get frustrated that you don’t. The outburst may be from a broken promise rather than the lack of ice cream. So, it’s about getting clarity about where frustration is coming from.

Your turn

Teaching your kids meditation is easiest when introducing them to fun mindfulness activities. It doesn’t need to be a chore or super high level for kids to start seeing the benefits and learning the usefulness of mindfulness early on.

It isn’t important that your kids understand the philosophy of mindfulness, how it works, or even why it’s important to learn. Instead, make it fun. Help them build the skill so that when they grow older, they will be better equipped to learn mindfulness meditation and manage their emotions and happiness better.

Have a recommended activity that teaches mindfulness to kids? Share it in the comments below.

The post 16 Mindfulness Activities for Kids That Are Fun and Teach Mindfulness appeared first on Declutter The Mind.

Maybe you’ve thought about adopting the practice but never took concrete steps to start. Here’s everything you need to know about embarking on your journaling journey, from choosing the right format to easy-to-master techniques that make the process less mysterious so you can reap the wellness benefits. 

Why Start Journaling? The Many Benefits

Everyone is busy these days. Why should you take precious time to journal? Once you begin reaping these perks, you’ll quickly see the value in spending a few mindful minutes putting the amorphous thoughts in your head to paper. 

• Improved emotional well-being: One recent study examined the effect of a two-week gratitude journaling exercise on toddler parents. Those who completed the protocol demonstrated significantly lower stress levels and stronger mental well-being than the control group. 

• Increased self-awareness: Who are you deep inside? How do you really feel about X issue? It’s astonishing how putting your thoughts on paper clarifies them and, through that process, creates a clearer picture of what you value and gives your life meaning. 

• Stress reduction: The simple act of expressing your feelings on paper helps you process difficult emotions, reducing your overall stress load. 

• Enhanced creativity: Writing engages the frontal lobe, an advanced region of your brain associated with creativity. 

• Improved problem-solving skills: Your frontal lobe also controls higher thought patterns, including your problem-solving ability. 

• Goal-setting and accountability: Putting your goals in writing helps you flesh out a plan to make them a reality and lets you track your progress. 

How to Start Your Journaling Journey 

It’s easy to start on your journaling journey — all you need is a writing surface and an instrument. However, answering these FAQs can help you personalize your adventure. 

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Should You Use a Paper or Online Journal? 

Some people find handwriting soothing. However, those with arthritis or who simply prefer the convenience of a keyboard can journal in a password-protected document or use an app. Either way, carrying your journal with you is a wise habit, as it’s there when you need it and you can make use of downtime, like commuting on the bus. 

How Can You Make Journaling a Habit?

Twenty-eight days isn’t a hard-and-fast habit-forming rule — people adopt habits at varying rates. However, setting aside five to 10 minutes daily, even if you only jot a quick list, eventually makes the behavior routine. 

What Do You Do When You Don’t Know What to Write? 

Use technology to your advantage. You can find thousands of journal prompts online to jumpstart your creativity. 

11 Journal Techniques to Improve Your Peace of Mind

Scores of journaling techniques can give you peace of mind and grow your wisdom. You can use one or more in your journal — mix it up depending on what moves you on a given day. Here are 11 of the most popular to jumpstart your insightful journey. 

1. Gratitude Journaling

Gratitude journaling is an excellent starting point if peace of mind is your goal. Research in children shows gratitude plays a key role in happiness from age 5 forward. By age 11 or 13, grateful kids are more optimistic, and those older than 14 express more satisfaction with their lives. 

Think of it this way: It is impossible to ruminate on the bad things in your life while simultaneously writing about the good. Gratitude journaling gently shifts your perspective from the negative to the positive. 

2. Bullet Journaling

Bullet journaling is great for those days when your mind is full, but time is short. You might, for example: 

• Write lists of what you have to do — with a note on why those tasks matter
• Outline the steps to reach a specific goal 
• Take a fun, daydreamy mental break by brainstorming all the places you’d love to visit or the flavors you enjoy

3. Travel Journaling 

You don’t have to be a globetrotter to get into travel journaling. Many useful guides to scenic locations came to life not from highly paid visiting authors but from locals with a passion for sharing the magic of their destination with guests from all over the globe. Of course, those who plan to visit all the national parks in the continental U.S. or who regularly hop planes to Mumbai and Dubai can also journal about their journeys. 

4. Food Journaling 

Is your primary hobby in the kitchen? Food journaling is a glorious way of passing down beloved recipes and the stories behind their creation. 

You can also use food journaling to learn about your body and health. For example, writing down how you feel after ingesting certain meals may help you uncover mild food allergies that don’t pose an immediate deadly threat but nevertheless impact your quality of life. 

5. Dream Journaling 

If you’re fortunate enough to remember your dreams, you can gain considerable insight into your psyche by writing them down. Return to them later to analyze their meaning. 

Dream journaling also helps you notice patterns in your sleepytime adventures. For example, frequently dreaming of appearing naked in public can signify a deep-seated insecurity you might want to address through formal therapy. 

6. Prayer Journaling 

You don’t have to belong to a formal religious institution to get into prayer journaling. This technique might take the form of writing letters to the Divine or even your inner higher self if you take more of an informal spiritual path. 

However, those who are members of a formal religion may seek journaling advice from their leadership. You might find journals with scripture-based prompts that help you reflect on your beliefs. 

7. Reflective Journaling

Reflective journaling is often what people think of when they consider starting a journal. It’s when you ask yourself a question and dig deep into your answer through writing. 

You may have learned this journaling technique in school when your teacher began class with a reflection question you wrote about in a special notebook. Adults can purchase books of prompts or work through the big questions weighing on their minds that they don’t dare discuss with others. 

8. Confidence Journaling 

Confidence journaling can help you conquer that fear of embarrassment if you feel it holds you back in life. While you can write, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and gosh darn it, people like me,” over and over, this technique works best when you dig a little deeper. 

What, specifically, do you do well? What are your talents and gifts? For example, if you have job insecurities because of AI, list everything you can do that a computer or robot cannot. 

9. Memoir Journaling 

If biting into a madeleine sends you on a Proust-esque trip down memory lane, memoir journaling may be the technique for you. This style is most akin to keeping a diary. 

However, you don’t have to stick to a boring recital of that day’s events, beginning with, “first, I ate breakfast.” You can use memoir journaling to recount specific, meaningful events in your life, pulling them out of your brain cells and going over them to search for the lessons or revel in past joys. 

10. Letter Journaling 

Sometimes, getting things flowing is easier when you imagine writing a letter to a friend. Although fictional, Lionel Shriver’s 2003 novel “We Need to Talk About Kevin” follows such a narrative style. 

This technique comes in handy when the urge to rant at someone in your life grows overwhelming, but voicing your feelings could lead to unwanted consequences. Maybe telling off your boss in front of the whole office would get you fired in real life, but you can have fun penning the imaginary dramatic scene in your journal. 

11. Art Journaling 

Sometimes, the words simply won’t come. However, art picks up where the dictionary leaves off. Art journaling is what it sounds like — using visual representations instead of words to work through your feelings. 

For example, your journal can double as a sketch pad. Other people feel more comfortable taking clippings from magazines to create collages. Even doodling will help reinforce the journaling habit — it’s all about putting your pen to paper. 

Journaling for Peace of Mind 

Journaling has impressive mental health benefits and can give you greater peace of mind. It provides insight and clarity while easing stress and engaging brain regions involved in creativity and problem-solving. Whether you opt for pen and paper or an app, you have much to gain from this positive habit.

Cora Gold is a wellness writer and editor of women’s lifestyle magazine, Revivalist, where she covers journaling, self care and mindful living. Connect with Cora on LinkedIn, Pinterest and X.

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From the energetic chaos of childhood, through the stormy seas of adolescence, into the complex web of adulthood, and finally, into the reflective calm of the elder years, meditation serves as a steadfast companion. Yet, the way we engage with this ancient practice shifts as we journey through life’s stages. The restless imagination of a child, the intense emotions of a teenager, the myriad responsibilities of an adult, and the contemplative pace of the elderly—each phase calls for a unique approach to meditation.

Let me share a little story with you. When I first discovered meditation, I was a teenager grappling with the typical cocktail of adolescent angst and confusion. Meditation wasn’t just a practice; it felt like a lifeline, pulling me towards a haven of clarity amidst a sea of chaos. As I’ve journeyed through life, the way I meditate has evolved, but its core essence—a beacon of peace and self-discovery—remains unchanged.

In this post, we’ll explore how meditation can be tailored to suit every stage of life, offering tailored advice to ensure that no matter where you find yourself on life’s journey, meditation remains a reliable source of comfort and growth. From the playful mindfulness exercises suitable for the youngest among us to the serene contemplative practices that resonate with the wisdom of age, let’s delve into the art of adapting meditation to enrich every chapter of our lives.

The Importance of Tailoring Meditation to Life Stages

As we navigate through life’s seasons, our mental, emotional, and physical needs evolve. The challenges we face at eight are vastly different from those we confront at eighty. Similarly, the meditation practices that benefit a child might not hold the same appeal or effectiveness for an adult or elderly person. Recognizing and adapting meditation to these changing needs is crucial for maintaining its relevance and maximizing its benefits throughout our lives.

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Why is this adaptation necessary? Because meditation, at its heart, is about connection—connecting with the present moment, with our breath, and with ourselves. For a young child, connection might mean finding calm in a bustling world of play and discovery. For teenagers, it could be about navigating the tumult of emotions that adolescence brings. Adults might seek meditation as a refuge from the pressures of work and relationships, while the elderly might look to it for comfort and clarity in their golden years.

Moreover, our capacity for attention, our interests, and our physical abilities also change with age. A meditation practice that caters to these changes is more likely to be engaging, enjoyable, and ultimately, sustainable. It’s about making meditation accessible and resonant for everyone, regardless of where they are in their life’s journey.

For instance, while adults might have the patience for a 30-minute seated meditation, young children may find their attention wandering after just a few minutes. By incorporating meditation into play or using short, guided visualizations, children can engage with meditation in a way that suits their developmental stage. Similarly, as we age, we might find certain sitting positions uncomfortable. Adapting our practice to include chair meditation or integrating mindfulness into gentle yoga can ensure that we continue to reap meditation’s benefits without strain.

By tailoring meditation to our current life stage, we do more than just practice mindfulness; we cultivate a lifelong habit that grows and adapts with us. It becomes a personal journey of discovery and adaptation, reflecting the ever-changing landscape of human life.

In the following sections, we’ll explore specific meditation practices and tips tailored for different age groups: children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly. Each stage offers unique opportunities and challenges, and meditation can be a powerful tool in making the most of them. Whether you’re a parent looking to introduce meditation to your child, a teenager exploring mindfulness for the first time, an adult seeking balance amidst chaos, or someone in their later years looking for tranquility and connection, there’s a meditation practice out there for you. Let’s dive into how meditation can be adapted and embraced at every stage of life, ensuring that its benefits continue to enrich our journey from childhood through to our elder years.

Meditation for Children

In a world where children are increasingly exposed to digital distractions and the pressures of a fast-paced lifestyle, meditation offers a sanctuary of calm and focus. While the concept of meditation might seem complex, children are naturally equipped with the curiosity and imagination to embrace it. The key is to introduce meditation in a fun, engaging manner that captures their attention and nurtures their innate capacity for mindfulness.

Techniques and Tips

Simple Breathing Exercises: Teach children to focus on their breath by incorporating playful imagery. For instance, imagine blowing up a balloon to help them understand deep inhalations and exhalations. This can be a fun way to bring awareness to their breath and the present moment.

Guided Visualizations: Use stories and guided imagery suited to young imaginations. Creating a mental adventure, such as a journey through a magical forest or a trip to the moon, can help children engage with meditation more deeply, teaching them to visualize and focus.

Incorporating Meditation into Play: Children learn and engage best through play. Introduce mindfulness practices during playtime, such as mindful coloring or building blocks with attention to the sensory experience. This can help integrate mindfulness seamlessly into their daily routine.

Benefits

Meditation offers numerous benefits for children, helping them navigate the challenges of growing up with greater ease:

• Improved Focus: Regular meditation can help enhance a child’s attention span, aiding in better concentration on studies and activities.
• Better Sleep: Meditation practices, especially before bedtime, can lead to improved sleep patterns, making it easier for children to fall asleep and enjoy restful nights.
• Emotional Regulation: Through meditation, children learn to observe their emotions without judgment, helping them understand and manage their feelings more effectively. This skill is invaluable for their emotional development and resilience.

Introducing meditation to children sets the foundation for a lifetime of mindfulness. It equips them with the tools to face life’s ups and downs with a calm mind and a resilient spirit. For parents and educators looking to incorporate meditation into a child’s routine, resources like Declutter The Mind offer guided sessions specifically designed for young meditators. By making meditation a regular part of their lives, we gift children with the key to unlocking inner peace and clarity—a gift they’ll cherish and benefit from at every stage of their lives.

Meditation for Teenagers

Navigating the teenage years can feel like sailing through a storm without a compass. With the pressures of academics, social dynamics, and the quest for identity all coming to a head, it’s no wonder that many teenagers find themselves overwhelmed. Meditation, often overlooked as a tool for this age group, can be the compass that helps them find their way through these tumultuous waters.

Challenges Faced by Teenagers

Teenagers today are confronted with a unique set of challenges: the omnipresent digital world with its social media pressures, academic and future career anxieties, and a deep internal struggle to understand who they are and where they fit in the world. These challenges can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression, making it crucial to find healthy coping mechanisms.

Meditation Techniques for Teens

Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness teaches teens to live in the moment, helping to decrease stress and anxiety by focusing on the present rather than worrying about the past or future. Simple mindfulness exercises, such as mindful eating or walking, can be a good start.

Body Scan Meditation: This form of meditation encourages teenagers to tune into their bodies, noticing sensations without judgment. It can be particularly beneficial in fostering a positive body image and addressing the discomfort that can come with the physical changes of puberty.

Guided Meditation Apps: Apps like Declutter The Mind offer guided meditations tailored to teenagers, addressing topics relevant to their experiences. These can be particularly helpful for beginners, providing a structured path to follow.

Benefits

The practice of meditation can offer significant benefits for teenagers, helping them navigate their challenges with greater ease:

• Stress Relief: Regular meditation helps lower stress levels by reducing the production of stress hormones such as cortisol.
• Increased Self-Esteem: As teenagers become more aware and accepting of their thoughts and feelings through meditation, they often experience an increase in self-esteem and self-worth.
• Better Decision-Making Skills: Meditation enhances mindfulness, which can lead to better decision-making. With increased awareness of their thoughts and emotions, teenagers are better equipped to make choices that align with their values and long-term well-being.

Meditation doesn’t require special equipment or vast amounts of time—qualities that make it perfectly suited for teenagers’ busy lives and limited budgets. By integrating meditation into their daily routine, even if just for a few minutes a day, teenagers can unlock a powerful tool for enhancing their mental health and overall well-being.

As a community, we can support our teenagers by encouraging them to explore meditation and providing them with resources to get started. Whether it’s through a school program, a community center, or at home, introducing teenagers to meditation is a gift that can profoundly impact their journey through these formative years, setting the stage for a healthier, more mindful adulthood.

Meditation for Adults

The adult years bring a complex blend of responsibilities, challenges, and transitions. Balancing career demands, relationships, and personal well-being often leaves adults feeling stretched thin and seeking solace. Meditation emerges as a vital tool for adults, offering a haven of clarity and calm in the midst of life’s storms.

Adult Life and Its Complexities

Adulthood is marked by a series of transitions: starting and growing in one’s career, forming significant relationships, possibly starting a family, and navigating the ups and downs that these experiences inevitably bring. Each of these phases presents its own set of challenges, from the stress of work to the dynamics of personal relationships. It’s easy for adults to find themselves overwhelmed, losing touch with their inner peace amid the external pressures.

Adapting Meditation for Adults

Deep Mindfulness Practices: Adults can benefit greatly from deep mindfulness practices that focus on breathing and present-moment awareness. These practices help in managing stress, anxiety, and the myriad thoughts that cloud the mind.

Loving-Kindness Meditation: This type of meditation focuses on cultivating feelings of love, kindness, and compassion towards oneself and others. Loving-kindness meditation is particularly beneficial for enhancing empathy in relationships and dealing with interpersonal conflicts.

Incorporating Meditation into a Busy Schedule: Finding time for meditation can be a challenge for busy adults. Apps like Declutter The Mind offer guided meditations that can be done in as little as 5 minutes, making it easier to integrate meditation into daily life, even for those with the busiest schedules.

Benefits

The benefits of meditation for adults are far-reaching, impacting not just personal well-being but also professional and social aspects of life:

• Improved Mental Health: Regular meditation can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression, leading to a healthier mental state.
• Enhanced Productivity: By improving focus and reducing stress, meditation can lead to better performance at work and a more fulfilling professional life.
• Deeper Personal Connections: Meditation cultivates a sense of empathy and connection, enhancing relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.

For adults, meditation isn’t just a practice; it’s a lifeline that helps navigate the complexities of adult life with grace and resilience. It offers a moment of pause in the relentless pace of daily responsibilities, a space to breathe, reflect, and connect with what truly matters.

As we grow older, our priorities and schedules change, but the need for inner peace and mental clarity remains constant. Incorporating meditation into our lives as adults isn’t just about finding temporary relief from stress; it’s about building a foundation of mindfulness that supports us through all of life’s transitions. Whether you’re a seasoned practitioner or new to the world of meditation, resources like Declutter The Mind can guide you through meditations suited to your lifestyle, helping you to find balance and peace amidst the chaos of adulthood.

Meditation for the Elderly

As we enter the later stages of life, meditation can become an invaluable companion, offering a source of solace, reflection, and connection that complements the wisdom of age. The elderly face unique challenges, including health issues, loss, loneliness, and navigating the complexities of retirement and the sense of purpose that shifts with it. Meditation provides a gentle yet profound way to address these challenges, promoting well-being, clarity, and peace in one’s golden years.

Unique Challenges for the Elderly

The elderly navigate a range of experiences that can significantly impact their mental and physical health. Issues such as declining mobility, chronic pain, loss of loved ones, and social isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, the transition into retirement can bring its own set of adjustments, as the structures and routines that have defined much of adult life shift dramatically.

Meditation Practices for the Elderly

Gentle Yoga Combined with Meditation: For those facing physical challenges due to aging, gentle yoga can be an excellent way to maintain mobility and incorporate meditation. Movements can be adapted to all levels of ability, focusing on breath work and mindfulness to enhance physical and mental health.

Gratitude Meditation: Focusing on gratitude can be especially powerful for the elderly, helping to shift perspective towards appreciation and positivity. Regular practice can enhance mood, reduce stress, and foster a sense of contentment with life as it is now.

Community Meditation Groups: Participating in meditation groups, either in-person or virtually, can offer a sense of community and connection, reducing feelings of isolation. Sharing meditation practices with peers can also provide social support and encouragement.

Benefits

The practice of meditation offers numerous benefits that can significantly enhance the quality of life for the elderly:

• Enhanced Mental Clarity: Meditation can help maintain and improve cognitive function, offering a valuable tool in the fight against age-related mental decline.
• Pain Management: Mindfulness meditation has been shown to reduce the perception of pain, making it a helpful practice for those dealing with chronic pain conditions.
• Sense of Community: Engaging in group meditation practices can foster a strong sense of belonging and community, combating the isolation that many elderly individuals face.

For many in their later years, meditation becomes more than a practice; it’s a way of living mindfully, embracing each moment with grace and gratitude. The elderly have a wealth of experiences to draw upon, and meditation can deepen the connection to this reservoir of wisdom, offering insights and serenity that enrich the twilight years.

Introducing or continuing meditation in later life opens the door to a journey of inner exploration, where the challenges of aging can be met with equanimity and the joys of life savored fully. With resources like Declutter The Mind, which offers guided meditations tailored to the needs and challenges of the elderly, embracing meditation has never been more accessible. Whether it’s finding peace amidst health challenges, connecting with a community of like-minded individuals, or simply enjoying the tranquility of a mindful moment, meditation offers a pathway to a fulfilling and serene elderhood.

Making Meditation a Lifelong Practice

The journey of incorporating meditation into our lives is much like weaving a thread through the fabric of our existence, enriching each phase with depth, clarity, and peace. From the playful curiosity of childhood to the reflective wisdom of the elder years, meditation offers a constant source of support and growth. Making meditation a lifelong practice isn’t just about accumulating moments of calm; it’s about developing a profound relationship with ourselves and the world around us, across the seasons of our lives.

Embracing Change with Mindfulness

One of the most beautiful aspects of meditation is its ability to evolve with us. As we transition from one stage of life to the next, our meditation practice can adapt, reflecting our changing needs, challenges, and insights. This flexibility is what makes meditation not just a practice for a moment but a companion for life.

Cultivating a Habit

The key to making meditation a lifelong habit lies in its regular practice. Like planting a seed and nurturing it into a thriving plant, meditation requires patience, consistency, and care. Starting with just a few minutes a day can set the foundation, gradually building a practice that becomes as natural and essential as breathing.

Experimentation and Openness

Each stage of life offers an opportunity to explore different forms of meditation and find what resonates most deeply with our current experiences. Being open to experimentation, whether it’s through guided meditations, mindfulness techniques, or group sessions, enriches our practice and prevents it from becoming stagnant.

Integration into Daily Life

Integrating meditation into our daily routine ensures that it becomes a seamless part of our lives. This can mean setting aside time for a morning meditation to start the day with intention, practicing mindfulness during daily activities, or unwinding with a calming meditation before bed. The goal is to make meditation so intertwined with our daily life that its absence is felt.

The Role of Community and Resources

Finally, engaging with a community of fellow meditators can provide motivation, support, and a sense of connection. Resources like Declutter The Mind not only offer guided meditations for every stage of life but also provide a platform to connect with others on their meditation journey, sharing experiences and learning together.

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Conclusion

Meditation, with its profound simplicity and depth, is a gift we can offer ourselves at any stage of life. It’s a practice that nurtures our innermost being, providing clarity, peace, and resilience through the inevitable changes and challenges of life. By making meditation a lifelong practice, we open ourselves to a journey of continuous growth and discovery, finding in each moment a chance to connect, reflect, and be fully present.

As we move forward, let’s remember that it’s never too late or too early to begin or deepen our meditation practice. Whether you’re taking your first steps into meditation or seeking to enrich an existing practice, resources like Declutter The Mind are here to guide you through each stage of your journey. In the end, meditation is more than just a practice; it’s a way of living mindfully, embracing each day with openness, compassion, and a sense of wonder.

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What Is Mindfulness Movement Meditation Exactly?

Mindfulness movement meditation is performing different activities with an awareness of your body and mind. This practice centers on being present and paying attention to sensations as they happen. At the same time, mindfulness operates on having strong mental clarity.

Some people feel like they’re alone in a mental fog and physical slump, but that isn’t true at all. About 90% of Americans believe they live in a mental health crisis. Physical inactivity affected about 23.8% of the population in 2020 as well. Recognizing these areas of improvement is critical to gain motivation and achieve mindfulness movement meditation.

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The Roots of Mindfulness Movement Meditation

Mindfulness movement meditation has existed for a while and has many forms. Most programs have been adapted from Buddhist teachings to fit a Western audience, explaining the overlap between the two.

For example, secular mindfulness refers to an awareness and acceptance of your innermost thoughts. It intersects with Samma Sati — an element of the Noble Eightfold Path that believes in having a pure and comprehensive understanding of what’s happening.

Former mindfulness ideologies were attached to religion, but they operate more towards the enlightenment of the self. Even the spiritual master Buddha didn’t have a specific god to attribute his wisdom to — the credit goes to his strength and will to refine himself.

Mindfulness movement meditation maintains the same core idea of helping oneself achieve enlightenment. The essence of the practice is vital in today’s society. Many look towards different elements to get a hold of themselves, but your mind and body are the most integral to understanding and growth.

Understanding the Impact of Complete Mindfulness 

What is mindfulness movement meditation useful for? Can it create a lasting effect on a person? The truth is there are a variety of benefits to complete mindfulness, such as:

• Focus: Movement mindfulness can improve one’s focus. Rather than going through life in a haze, you get to see and feel everything from a better perspective. There’s also a newfound desire to pay attention.
• Moods: Many people associate mindfulness with less depression and panic. Using your body to exercise and channel negative energy can also be a great way to keep your well-being intact.

• Movement: People also experience an improvement in their everyday movement with mindfulness. Imagine having a spring in your step as you go through each day instead of slouching and dragging your feet.
• Improved fitness: Develop a positive sense of vigor during workouts. Mindfulness movement meditation can also help you achieve specific fitness goals and set new ones. Acknowledge work plateaus and correct them to keep progressing.
• Pain management: Mindfulness movement meditation can make you aware of any pain you feel. So many are used to pushing aside such sensations, but desensitizing yourself can do more harm than good. Be aware of the pain and act.

Carrying Out Mindfulness Movement Meditation

Mindfulness movement meditation takes several steps. Knowing and enacting them are essential to achieve the best results for your body and mind.

1. Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises are the foundation for almost any mindfulness-based program. Start by observing your breathwork while at rest, then take a deep breath and count to five before exhaling. Do a few repetitions of this to center yourself.

Next is to notice your breathing when you’re finally moving. Some people find themselves short of breath because they forget about composing themselves, so remember to inhale and exhale while you’re in motion. It’s also imperative to practice this when cooling down.

2. Mental Concentration

Once you have your breathing in check, the next step is to work on your mental concentration. There are advantages to letting your mind wander — such as sparking creativity and imagination — but you should also be able to reel yourself into contemplating a topic.

As you move, direct your attention towards something. You can focus on a particular object, like counting the benches you pass by. Some may also benefit from having a specific thought or mantra they repeat throughout their meditative movement. 

3. Calming Mind

Mindfulness movement meditation should be a calming experience. If you notice your mind going through some turmoil, clear your head. It’s recommended to practice relaxation techniques for about 10 to 20 minutes every day.

Start by acknowledging the problem occupying your head before allowing yourself to release it. Some people find visualization to be helpful, so try forming your negative thoughts into a ball in your hands. Imagine letting it go and how good you feel when it floats away.

4. Introspection

A calm mind can open up a world of introspection. Why are your thoughts the way they are? How do you cope with the mental load of each day? Is there anything you want to change about your emotion-management strategies?

Some people resist observing themselves because self-awareness means confronting everything about yourself — the good and the bad. A step in this direction can allow you to be more at peace with yourself while exploring mindfulness movement meditation.

5. Body Awareness

So many people have a disconnect with their physique, so extend mindfulness to your body and analyze your capabilities. Learn about what your body can and can’t do regarding exercises, and pay attention when you experience an intense stretch or pain.

Accommodating your body can create a stronger connection between your mind and figure. This imbalance can be unhealthy since you have to cope with your thoughts by themselves and hinder yourself from taking up space. Accept that shortcoming and start a shift.

6. Tension Release

Once you’ve recalibrated your body and mind, the next step is to release tension. Mindfulness movement meditation revolves around various everyday actions, but picking out a single activity can help remove mental and physical stress in the long run.

Pressure tends to build up over time, so get it out of the way with exercises like:

• Walking: Walking meditation is great for practicing mindful movement because you do it daily — you’ll find yourself walking from one room to another or when running errands. In those moments, channel your attention to your steps. You can also focus on the change of scenery.
• Stretching: Stretching is a low-effort way of practicing mindful movement. Stretch your arms to the sky and release your shoulders and back stiffness. You can also do a few lunges to stretch the legs or move your neck from side to side. Stretching your whole body to remove tension mindfully can bring relief.
• Yoga: Yoga is inherently mindful since you’re moving from stance to stance while taking deep breaths and keeping your motion in check. Grab a mat and try out different poses — if you’re a beginner, simple ones like the downward-facing dog and mountain should work.
• Tai Chi: Tai chi is a gentle series of martial art movements. You’ll slowly build muscle strength and mental fortitude while meditating, and work on your posture as you practice different poses and hand gestures.
• Qigong: Qigong is similar to tai chi since it gently works out the body. However, it focuses on preventing energy depletion and refining one’s vital energy. Improve your breathwork as you flow through a routine.

7. Lifestyle Habits

One final stage in mindfulness movement meditation is building a lifestyle of these different habits. Having some days where you falter from the practice is understandable since life gets busy, but remember to pick up where you left off afterward.

Practicing consistency can truly enlighten your mind and body. Once you’re accustomed to these meditative practices and movements, you can keep your progress going and stay fulfilled.

Tips to Help Achieve Mindfulness

Mindfulness movement meditation can allow you to become more present throughout each day of your life. Plus, some techniques can make the process smoother.

1. Know What Motivates You

Many fall short of mindfulness and meditative movement because they don’t have a direct goal to work towards. It isn’t necessary to set an objective, but understanding what motivates you can fuel you to progress further.

Here are some examples:

• Strengthen the body: Some people feel like their movement is stiff or they can find better balance. Strengthening the body through mindful movement can help you work out while keeping your eyes on the prize. Focus on building your endurance and adding power to each step and action.
• Getting comfortable in one’s skin: Others loathe moving because they dislike their body image. About 50% of Americans feel pressured to attain a certain body type. Mindfulness movement meditation won’t completely transform your figure, but it can help you feel more happy and comfortable in your skin.
• Fortify the mind: Meditative movement means being present throughout the whole day. It can be easy to retreat into your head when you feel discouraged by multiple factors throughout life. However, creating mental fortitude and taking care of your mental health can empower you to pick yourself back up and keep moving.
• Grow as a person: Sometimes, the only motivation you need is self-improvement. A disconnect between your body and mind can be personally frustrating, so learn to challenge that zone and find joy in change.
• Improve sleep quality: Getting your body around and being conscious throughout the day can take up more energy than you think. Allow your mindfulness movement meditation to help you rest and recuperate.

2. Disconnect from Distractions

It can be hard to hone your mind and body awareness if you’re staring at your phone or focused on a different task. Take a screen break and focus on yourself, putting your devices in a separate room or leaving them indoors when going outside.

If you’ve improved your self-control and prioritized mindfulness, you can leave the distractions in the same room. Take note of how you mentally and physically react towards the object, breathe, and shift that focus towards yourself.

3. Use Mindfulness Tools

Mindfulness doesn’t come quickly to everyone, but there are tools you can use to move your progress along. Some can even elevate the experience of going through your meditative movements.

The following tools might do the trick for you:

• Aromatherapy: Use some essential oils next time you’re doing an exercise routine. Aromatherapy can be therapeutic for anxiety, aiding a person’s mindfulness meditation. Remember to regulate how much you’re putting on to avoid breathing in perfume.
• Music: What you listen to can truly set the tone for your meditative movement, especially when you’re a musically inclined person. Seek a playlist to boost your mood — classical music or uplifting beats can be great to focus on.
• Nature: Being in nature can improve your mindfulness movement meditation. There are so many sensations and scenery that can help recenter your thoughts. Plus, the outdoor air can be calm and refreshing.
• Mindfulness apps: Meditation apps on your phone can provide routines to improve mindful workouts. The affirmations and notifications can be your biggest cheerleaders on low-energy days.
• Journals: Want to record or share your meditative movement musings or progress? Keep a journal to document your journey, writing down the exercises you do and thoughts that came up during the process. You can also track your mood.

4. Talk Yourself Into Intervals

Some days, you don’t feel like moving or meditating. It’s natural to take a break when you’re too tired, but if it’s out of boredom, talk yourself into doing at least 10 minutes. A short period of mindfulness movement meditation is better than nothing, so pat yourself on the back afterward for trying your best.

Certain people may berate themselves for not immediately getting into the groove of mindful movement. If that sounds like you, hit pause and provide yourself with some kindness instead.

Invest in Mindfulness Movement Meditation

Mindfulness movement meditation is a worthwhile endeavor to channel your energy into. You get to recenter your body and mind to experience moments in life as they happen. When you work on yourself, you could watch your zest for life return

—

Beth is the mental health editor at Body+Mind. She has 5+ years of experience writing about behavioral health, specifically mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Beth also writes about the power of human design to reveal our potential. You can find her on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth Rush.

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Perfectionism, at its core, is the relentless pursuit of flawlessness, accompanied by self-criticism and concerns regarding others’ evaluations. It’s a trait many of us wear as a badge of honor, believing it to be synonymous with diligence and high standards. However, this quest for perfection can sometimes cast a long shadow, obscuring the joys of the process and the beauty of progress.

Recognizing the importance of “overcoming perfectionism” is crucial, not just for our mental well-being, but also for fostering a healthier outlook on life and work. It’s about finding balance, allowing ourselves to embrace imperfection, and learning to appreciate the journey as much as the destination. In this blog post, I aim to share insights into the pitfalls of perfectionism and offer practical strategies for navigating this delicate balance. Through personal anecdotes and lessons learned, let’s explore together how we can transform our approach to life and work, making room for creativity, productivity, and, most importantly, peace of mind.

Understanding Perfectionism

At its heart, perfectionism is more than just a drive to achieve excellence. It’s a deep-seated belief that anything short of perfection is unacceptable. But where does this relentless pursuit stem from? For many of us, it’s rooted in our early experiences with success and failure, often intertwined with societal expectations, family pressures, and personal insecurities. This quest for flawlessness, while initially motivating, can quickly become a double-edged sword, cutting into our satisfaction and well-being.

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The Psychology Behind Perfectionism

Psychologists often differentiate between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Adaptive perfectionism drives us towards achieving our goals without compromising our mental health. In contrast, maladaptive perfectionism involves setting standards that are impossibly high, leading to self-criticism and fear of failure. It’s important to understand this distinction because it helps us recognize when our pursuit of excellence is supporting our growth and when it’s hindering it.

Healthy Ambition vs. Detrimental Perfectionism

While ambition propels us forward, providing motivation and a sense of direction, detrimental perfectionism does the opposite. It’s like running on a treadmill set just a bit too fast, no matter how hard we run, we never quite reach the button to slow it down. The key difference lies in flexibility; ambition allows for setbacks and sees them as part of the process, whereas perfectionism struggles to accept anything less than the ideal outcome.

The Impact on Mental Health, Productivity, and Creativity

The consequences of unchecked perfectionism are far-reaching. It can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and depression, as the perfectionist is perpetually dissatisfied with their achievements, or lack thereof. This constant state of discontent can erode our mental health, leaving us feeling inadequate and overwhelmed.

In the realm of productivity, perfectionism is paradoxical. One might assume that striving for perfection leads to higher productivity levels, but the opposite is often true. The fear of making mistakes can cause procrastination, with tasks being postponed in the quest to do them “perfectly” later. This not only slows progress but can also stifle creativity, as the fear of criticism (both from oneself and others) limits risk-taking and experimentation—key components of creative thinking.

Recognizing the traits and impacts of perfectionism is the first step towards cultivating a healthier outlook on life and work. By understanding that perfectionism is not an all-or-nothing trait, we can begin to navigate towards a more balanced and fulfilling approach to our ambitions and daily tasks. In the following sections, we’ll explore practical strategies for overcoming perfectionism, embracing imperfection, and rediscovering the joy in our personal and professional journeys.

The Pitfalls of Perfectionism

Diving deeper into the shadowy depths of perfectionism, it becomes clear that its impact is pervasive, touching every aspect of our lives and work. My journey through the tangled vines of perfectionism has revealed to me, time and again, how it manifests in both subtle and overt ways, often masquerading as dedication or high standards. Let’s explore some of these manifestations and understand the consequences that can unfold if left unchecked.

Manifestations of Perfectionism in Everyday Life and Work

Perfectionism can sneak into our lives in various forms. At work, it might be the relentless pursuit of a project that never seems “finished” or the hesitation to delegate tasks for fear they won’t be done to our exacting standards. In our personal lives, it could appear as an intense preoccupation with fitness or diet, an endless quest for the perfect social media post, or even the refusal to start a hobby because we’re not “good enough” at it. Each of these instances, though seemingly disparate, is bound by a common thread: the belief that anything less than perfect is unworthy.

For me, perfectionism often showed up in my writing. I’d spend hours tweaking sentences, convinced that every word had to be just right before I could consider my work complete. This not only hampered my productivity but also sapped the joy from an activity I deeply love.

Consequences of Unchecked Perfectionism

The toll that perfectionism can take is multifaceted, affecting our mental, emotional, and physical well-being:

• Stress and Burnout: The constant pressure to perform at an unrealistic standard can lead to chronic stress, a precursor to burnout. This state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion reduces productivity and leaves us feeling defeated and drained.
• Procrastination: Ironically, the fear of not achieving perfection can lead to procrastination. The overwhelming pressure to deliver a flawless outcome makes starting tasks daunting, leading to avoidance behaviors.
• Relationship Strain: Perfectionism can strain relationships, both personally and professionally. The insistence on high standards may lead to unrealistic expectations of others, causing tension and conflict.
• Diminished Creativity: The fear of making mistakes stifles creativity. When we’re too focused on producing something perfect, we’re less likely to take risks or try new approaches, limiting our creative potential.

Recognizing these pitfalls is crucial in taking the first steps toward overcoming perfectionism. The strategies discussed in the next section aim to provide a roadmap out of the perfectionism trap, towards a healthier and more fulfilling approach to life and work. By embracing imperfection, setting realistic goals, practicing self-compassion, limiting comparison, and celebrating progress over perfection, we can begin to dismantle the hold that perfectionism has on us. These strategies are not just about lowering our standards but about redefining what success looks like for us as individuals, free from the shackles of perfectionism.

Strategies for Overcoming Perfectionism

Overcoming perfectionism isn’t about settling for mediocrity; it’s about embracing a more compassionate and realistic approach to our ambitions and daily tasks. By incorporating the following strategies into our lives, we can start to shift away from the perfectionism paradigm and towards a healthier, more balanced mindset.

1. Embrace Imperfection

The first step is to accept that imperfection is not only natural but also a valuable part of the human experience. It’s where we find growth, learning, and authenticity. One effective way to embrace imperfection is through mindfulness and meditation. A particular technique I’ve found helpful is the “Acceptance Meditation” from Declutter The Mind. This practice encourages us to observe our thoughts and feelings without judgment, acknowledging that imperfection is a part of life and not something to be feared.

2. Set Realistic Goals

Setting achievable, realistic goals can significantly reduce the pressure that feeds into perfectionism. It’s about understanding and accepting our limitations and working within them to achieve our objectives. A mindful goal-setting exercise involves reflecting on what is genuinely important to us and setting goals that align with our values, rather than external expectations. This approach helps us stay focused on what truly matters, making our goals more meaningful and attainable.

3. Practice Self-Compassion

Self-compassion is a powerful antidote to perfectionism. It involves treating ourselves with the same kindness and understanding that we would offer a good friend. The “Loving-Kindness Meditation” available on Declutter The Mind is an excellent tool for fostering self-compassion. This practice encourages us to send wishes of love, happiness, and well-being to ourselves and others, helping to soften the self-critical voice that drives perfectionism.

4. Limit Comparison

In today’s digital age, it’s easy to fall into the comparison trap, especially on social media, where everyone’s life seems picture-perfect. Limiting exposure to these platforms and focusing on our journey is crucial. Practicing mindfulness can help us become more aware of when we’re comparing ourselves to others and redirect our focus towards our progress and achievements. Remember, the only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday.

5. Celebrate Progress Over Perfection

Finally, learning to celebrate progress, no matter how small, is vital in overcoming perfectionism. Recognizing and celebrating each step forward reinforces the idea that success is a journey, not a destination. It’s about appreciating the effort and growth along the way, rather than fixating on the flawless completion of a task. Personally, keeping a gratitude journal has been instrumental in this process. Each day, I jot down small victories and moments of progress, which helps shift my focus from what’s lacking to the abundance of achievements, however minor they may seem.

Incorporating Mindfulness and Meditation into Daily Routine

Integrating mindfulness and meditation into our daily routine can significantly impact our ability to overcome perfectionism. These practices ground us in the present moment, helping us to break free from the cycle of overthinking and self-criticism that feeds perfectionism. Starting with just a few minutes a day can make a difference, and apps like Declutter The Mind offer guided meditations specifically designed to combat perfectionism and foster a healthier mindset.

Embracing these strategies requires patience and practice. Overcoming perfectionism is not about making a one-time change but about gradually shifting our mindset and behaviors over time. By embracing imperfection, setting realistic goals, practicing self-compassion, limiting comparison, and celebrating progress, we can cultivate a healthier outlook on life and work, one that values growth and well-being over the unattainable ideal of perfection.

Conclusion

As we journey through the process of overcoming perfectionism, it’s essential to remember that this transformation doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a gradual shift, a series of small steps taken each day towards a healthier, more balanced perspective on life and work. My own path has been filled with moments of insight and setbacks, each teaching me valuable lessons about the importance of embracing imperfection and the freedom it brings.

Overcoming perfectionism is not about lowering our standards or diminishing our aspirations. Instead, it’s about redefining our relationship with success and failure, understanding that both are integral parts of the journey. It’s about allowing ourselves to be human, to make mistakes, and to learn from them. This shift in perspective can liberate us from the self-imposed chains of perfectionism, opening the door to a world of creativity, productivity, and well-being.

The strategies discussed in this post—embracing imperfection, setting realistic goals, practicing self-compassion, limiting comparison, and celebrating progress—are not just tools for overcoming perfectionism; they are principles for a fulfilling life. By integrating mindfulness and meditation into our daily routines, we can further support this shift towards a more compassionate and accepting self-view.

As we move forward, let us carry the lessons learned from our struggles with perfectionism, using them as a beacon to guide our way. Let’s encourage each other to embrace the beautifully imperfect journey of life, celebrating each step, no matter how small. Remember, the goal is not to achieve perfection but to find peace and satisfaction in our progress, understanding that it is in the process that we truly grow.

Call to Action

I invite you to join me in this ongoing journey of self-discovery and growth. Share your experiences with perfectionism in the comments below. What strategies have worked for you? How has your perspective on success and failure evolved? Together, let’s create a supportive community where we can share, learn, and grow.

For those looking to explore meditation and mindfulness further, I highly recommend checking out Declutter The Mind. Their guided meditations are specifically designed to help combat perfectionism and foster a healthier mindset, offering a practical tool to support your journey towards overcoming perfectionism.

In closing, let’s remember that perfection is not the goal; it’s the willingness to be imperfect and the courage to be vulnerable that truly defines our strength and beauty. Here’s to embracing the imperfect, celebrating the progress, and finding joy in the journey.

The post Overcoming Perfectionism: Strategies for a Healthier Outlook on Life and Work appeared first on Declutter The Mind.

In the event that you want to pair your mindfulness reading session with a mindfulness meditation practice, you can check out the Declutter The Mind app for free. No login required. 

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11 Mindfulness Books to Read and Learn From in 2024

1. The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker

In this mindfulness book, you’ll notice how distracted you’ve become from doomscrolling through social media and recognize that it’s time to be more aware of what’s going on in real life around you. You’ll learn how to better slow down to notice the little things that happen in your day. Finding time to connect with others will become a must as you read this book about mindfulness. Plus, you’ll become better at managing your time. Instead of trying to multitask, such as folding clothes while watching television, you’ll focus on doing one activity at a time to give it your full, undivided attention. 

2. The Little Book of Mindfulness by Patrizia Collard

If you’re looking for a book on mindfulness that’s jam-packed with five to ten minute exercises you can practice every single day, then you’ll want to check out Collard’s book. You’ll have practices for so many little moments throughout your day, from mindful eating to daily gratitude practices. You’ll feel motivated to learn how to better handle conflicts at home, how to show compassion to the people around you, and how to live more mindfully. And with each exercise, you’ll be one step closer to rewiring your brain to become more mindful overall. 

3. Learned Optimism by Martin E.P. Seligman 

The more time people spend in their heads and on their phones, the more likely they are to have negative thoughts. We often compare ourselves to others and get stuck in pessimistic thinking. But Seligman challenges the fact that we’re born optimistic and pessimistic by arguing that you can learn how to become optimistic. This mindfulness book will give you a deep dive into understanding how negative self-talk occurs and how to transform it into positive self-talk. You’ll also learn that there’s way more upside to optimism than pessimism. While pessimism used to be a required survival skill, in today’s society, it holds most of us back instead of propelling us forward. You’ll discover so many benefits to becoming more optimistic while building out the actionable skills you’ll need to learn to become a more positive thinker. 

4. Introducing Mindfulness: A Practical Guide by Tessa Watt

In Tessa Watt’s mindfulness book readers will find exercises they can follow along to and easily implement to help them with mindful living. The goal of the book is to help people live in the present moment every single day and let go of the negative thoughts that people get stuck in. The book is jam-packed with examples to help new practitioners understand how they can stop time traveling between the past and the future to stay in the present moment. Readers will also find that by implementing mindfulness through the exercises in the book, they’ll be able to reduce anxiety and gain a better grasp on managing their emotions. 

5. Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life Marshall B. Rosenberg

This book about mindfulness is all about mindful communication. In everyday interactions, people get into conflicts with coworkers, their spouse, friends, and more. This book shares principles about looking at situations without judgment, identifying your feelings, meeting people’s needs, and more. You’ll also learn how to ask for help with tasks instead of making demands or telling people what you want them to do to improve your chances of having your needs met. Readers will also learn how to develop better empathy towards others so they can have more meaningful conversations. Ultimately, if you find yourself having conflicts with others regularly, this is a good book on having mindful conversations to resolve conflicts peacefully and fairly for everyone involved. 

6. Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson, Ph.D.

The Buddha’s Brain is an insightful book about mindfulness and neuroscience. Our brain’s often have a negativity bias, which has helped us survive throughout history but isn’t as practical for us today. You’ll learn how to balance your positive and negative emotions through mindfulness and meditation while also learning to become more resilient. This book will also teach you how to gain more positive emotions through actions, such as gratitude, compassion, and love. With the neuroscience aspect of this book, you’ll learn how neuroplastic your brain is, proving that achieving this positive shift in thinking is in fact possible and can be done. Weaved within the chapters are exercises, meditations, and practices for mindfulness. Mindfulness is also one of the Four Pillars of Well-Being that are taught in this book. 

7. Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness books are more than just a guide to mindfulness meditation and being present. That’s why Jon Kabat-Zinn also explores how to let go of the past and stop fearing the future. It’s hard to stay present when we’re stuck in another time period. You’ll also learn how to become more aware of things non-judgmentally. Readers will find that this book helps them reduce stress while improving their well being to experience a more profound inner peace. But reading it isn’t enough. You’ll need to dive in to practice the meditation techniques taught in the book to incorporate more mindful awareness into your everyday life to really reap the benefits of the messages taught in this book.

8. The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh is a brilliant person to learn mindfulness from. Living as a Buddhist monk, he incorporates mindfulness in all his daily activities and offers his practical insights to readers to help them experience the same type of benefits. Mindfulness isn’t just about living in the present but it’s also about being hyper aware of every action you take and every experience you have. You’ll learn how to be more mindful when breathing, walking, eating, or doing any other common task. Those little every day moments are perfect opportunities to really deepen your awareness and connection to the moment you’re living right now. With Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings, you’ll be able to use mindfulness in your everyday life to increase a greater sense of peace and understanding. 

9. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle shares his journey with his own spiritual awakening to help others on their journey towards mindfulness and present living in this mindfulness book The Power of Now. In his book, he emphasizes that the present moment is the only time that truly exists. So spending your time feeling burdened by your past or anxious about your future is really what stops you from experiencing happiness and fulfillment in the here and now. It’s true that your emotional pain or negative thinking can take over your mind and shift you away from the present. But it’s equally true that you can cultivate more awareness and practice mindfulness through your habits and actions. Eckhart Tolle will challenge you to become the observer of your thoughts without judgment to truly connect with a deeper level of consciousness. 

10. 10% Happier by Dan Harris

If you’re looking for mindfulness books to read as a meditation skeptic, then consider 10% Happier by Dan Harris who was hesitant about trying meditation for the first time but found that it had an enormous positive impact in his life. This memoir slash self-help book highlights Harris’ journey from being a stress-ridden news anchor to finding and enjoying the benefits of meditation. So, if you’re thinking meditation is too woo-woo for you, you might end up finding this mindfulness book somewhat relatable and still come out of it wanting to give it a chance. You’ll learn about the common misconceptions of meditation and learn how to use meditation as a coping mechanism for lowering stress and becoming 10% happier (hopefully more though!) By the end of this read, you’ll find yourself more open minded to the world of meditation. 

11. The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

Mindfulness books like Haemin Sunim’s The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down encourages readers to find peace of mind and happiness regardless of their busy lives and schedules. Each chapter focuses on topics ranging from love to self care. It blends life topics with mindfulness to help you slow down and become more mindful and present in your thoughts and actions. You’ll be able to do some simple yet life-changing exercises and have opportunities to reflect. By the end of this mindfulness book, you’ll be able to let go of things that hold you back and feel more gratitude in your everyday life. 

Conclusion

Reading mindfulness books can be a great way to learn a little bit more about how to be more mindful. If you’ve been thinking about becoming a more mindful person to embodying more mindfulness into the rush of everyday life to become more present and slow down, you can always start a meditation practice. Declutter The Mind is meditation app with hundreds of meditations to choose from for any mood. Sign-up to start meditating today. 

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First, let me reassure you that while trying a drug might be a choice, addiction isn’t. It’s a chronic disease, whether well-meaning family and friends believe it or not. Just like you can’t tell a diabetic to just stop having unregulated blood sugar, you can’t tell an addict to just stop taking substances. 

When you have an addiction, your brain develops a compulsive need for its vice and could cause deadly consequences without it. Most addicts don’t desperately drug seek for fun. They’re body and mind are in crisis. Hearing that might make you think that recovery sounds horrible and no one should do it–but don’t click away. When you take the right steps, you can overcome your addiction in a safe and effective way. 

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Understanding Your Addiction 

The more you understand what’s happening in your body, the more steps you can take to manage it. When you first use a substance, it causes your brain to shoot out feel-good hormones. Those hormones generally disguise the damaging effects of using. The more you use a substance, the more your brain relies on it to get you through the day. The worse your addiction gets, the higher doses you need to seek out to avoid withdrawal. 

When it goes without the drug it’s relied on, your brain will start to short-circuit, which can cause extreme emotional reactions, seizures and even death. That’s why it’s so important to go through the process in a skilled treated facility that can manage your symptoms. 

If it seems like you easily became addicted to a substance, you’re not alone. Some members of the population are more susceptible to dependence than others. It’s not a sign of weakness. Like any disease, there are risk factors that can increase your chance of addiction. 

Biology

Your genes determine how tall you’ll get, your hair and skin colors, how creative or analytical you are and how easily your body can manage certain conditions. Some people are at a higher risk for obesity, others have genes that increase their cancer risk. Research shows that genes account for half of your drug and alcohol addiction risk. That risk comes from various factors, including the following. 

• Sex: People assigned male at birth are more likely to develop an illicit drug addiction. 
• Ethnicity: White people are more likely to develop an addiction, making up around 70% of illegal drug users over 12. 
• Age: The majority of first-time drug users are older teens and young adults. While this is partly environmental, the lack of a fully-developed frontal lobe also plays a part. 

None of these things alone are the reason you do or don’t develop an addiction. However, they can help you understand why you may have one. 

There is a genetic component to self-regulation, which plays a role in your addiction susceptibility. Some minds are wired to control impulses better than others. According to scientists at Rutgers University, this wiring is at the core of many addictions. 

A more pinpointed genetic reason for addiction comes down to one pesky gene. Everyone has the sci-fi sounding DRD2 gene. It’s responsible for regulating the amount of dopamine in your system. Some people have the A1 allele or version or the gene. Scientists found that it is more common in people who have addictions to opioids, alcohol and cocaine.

Environment 

People who are around others with addictions are more likely to start using themselves. Peer pressure is just as real for adults as it is for kids. When you’re in an environment with people who use substances, the more likely it is you’ll want to take a hit with them. For some, one exposure to a substance is all it takes for an addiction to kick in. 

The home you grew up in also matters. If you lived with adults who modeled drug and alcohol use, you might see addiction as a normal part of life. If the people in your life were impulsive or took a lot of risks, they might not have taught you how to think through your decisions or set physical and moral boundaries. 

There is a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and addiction. A vast majority of substance use disorders are low-income or unemployed. Addictions can stem from the stress of an unstable financial situation. It becomes a form of dangerous self-medication in order to break their minds out of a fight, flight or freeze scenario and take action. 

However, being on drugs is counterintuitive to getting and keeping a job. Many employers require screenings before hiring a new employee. If a substance doesn’t show up then, the side-effects of addiction can cause poor work performance, leading the person back to financial instability. 

Mental Health and Addiction

Mental trauma also makes you more susceptible to addiction. If you experienced physical, emotion or sexual abuse, you’re more likely to turn to substances as a coping mechanism. Addiction is a comorbidity with many mental health conditions, including post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). 

Stress by itself can trigger an addiction. It doesn’t have to be from a traumatic experience. Work stress or a packed schedule. The mental strain can make it easy to turn to a substance that can help you relax or focus. However, what may seem like a good idea for a temporary solution could turn into a lifetime problem. 

An overlooked addiction trigger is loneliness, whether you’re a child or an adult. A person who lacks social support from family, friends and mentors could try to fill the void with a substance. Essentially, drugs or alcohol become their toxic friend.                                                                                                                                                   

Breaking Free From Stigma

Many people unfortunately hesitate to seek treatment before it’s too late. There are now more than 100,000 deaths from overdoses in the United States each year. You don’t want to end up another tick in that statistic. Often, it’s a stigma that prevents people from getting the help they need but you can break free from it. 

It can be hard to deal with the unfair judgment of family, friends, colleagues or even medical professionals. The good news is that people in recovery often find a little embarrassment or a few lost relationships more than worth saving their life. 

Instead of focusing on what might happen, consider what will happen if you succeed. You’ll no longer feel dependent on a substance, you’ll regain control of your health and your actions. You’ll have a good chance at a long, thriving life. 

6 Steps to Overcoming Addiction

There’s no genie that can grant your wish to be sober. Here are six steps to take for a safe and successful recovery. 

1. Practice Meditation

A guided meditation practice can help you manage your thoughts during recovery. You’ll practice noticing them float away instead of ruminating on them. You can use the Declutter The Mind app to practice meditating for better mental health and to control your emotions. You can try a meditation for cravings and addiction below to help you manage your thoughts during recovery. There are even more meditations within the app. 

2. Get Professional Help 

The first step in conquering your addiction is to find a therapist who knows the science behind safely getting you off of the substance. Rehabilitation programs aren’t always portrayed well in fiction but there are many out there that can give you the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual guidance you need for success. The right team can provide a holistic approach to your case to provide individualized care for your mind and body. 

There are several treatment options for you to choose from. 

Inpatient

If you’re in an emergent situation, inpatient treatment can be a life-saving experience. They’re often run by hospitals or other medical facilities. They can help you safely detox and start you on the road to recovery. It’s an intense experience but is often the best step in severe cases. 

Residential (Rehab)

This is the type of place John Mulaney talks about going to in his latest special. You don’t have to have an intervention to stay in a residential treatment center. You can skip the crying and speeches by choosing to seek help before them. Rehab is essentially a hotel for people to get sober. You could be there a month or a year and are given many forms of treatment to give you the best chance at avoiding relapse. 

There’s often a team of professionals dedicated to helping you and others get well. You’ll get mental health treatment from trained psychiatrists and therapists, attend group and individual therapies, engage in self-care, identify your triggers and develop coping mechanisms. There are often different phases you’ll pass through on your way to life in recovery. 

Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)

You can get treatment from a medical facility while still going home every night. Essentially, recovery becomes your job in a PHP program. You’ll attend four to eight hours of treatment every day in the hospital but get to go home at night to spend time with family. 

Some people prefer this to residential treatment since they can stay with loved ones. However, others find outside triggers too intense to be around.

Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)

This is a slightly more flexible option for achieving recovery. IOP programs have you attend treatment sessions at a clinic for around 10-20 hours each week. You continue to live at home and can often hold a job or attend classes. It’s a great step for people who feel relatively stable and want to continue working towards their career and spending time with family. 

Outpatient

An outpatient treatment program is a low-intensity form of therapy great for people who are at the beginning of their addictions. It’s an early intervention that can keep you from going down the dangerous paths that require greater intervention. 

Patients attend nine or less hours at a facility while living at home and going to work, school and other events. They often offer weekend or evening services, so you can still do what you need to during the day. 

You can talk with your doctor or counselor about which treatment program is right for you. 

3. Join a Peer-Based Recovery Group

There is no cure for addiction. Your mind can recover but your brain will remember the addiction and can easily return to that state through exposure. Attending a recovery support group can introduce you to people who know what you’re going through and made it to the other side. 

Think of them as secret clubs. Some are religious but not all. Choose which one suits your addiction and style. It’s alright to try different ones and see where you best fit. You’ll continue to learn and practice coping with your triggers, support one another through finding and maintaining a new normal and can make lifelong friends who understand you. 

Peer based groups include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Narcotics Anonymous (NA), SMART Recovery, LifeRing, Secular Organizations for Sobriety, Women for Sobriety and Celebrate Recovery. 

4. Avoid Your Triggers

There are going to be some situations that send your brain into wanting relapse. Avoiding these situations is key to long-term success. It’s best to avoid the people who still are on the substance, you dealers, any public places where you used to use and putting yourself in unnecessary stressful situations. 

Some people are able to return to the same town and home they had before entering treatment. Others prefer a completely fresh start in a new location. It often depends on your connections to sober family, friends and colleagues at home or in a different place. Whatever helps you continue in your recovery is right for you. 

5. Build Your Village 

Speaking with family and friends, you need a support system. While personal accountability is essential in recovery, avoiding relapse is a hard road to take alone. Finding the people who support your journey can help you find new joy and guide you through times where your triggers are almost too much to take. 

Consider yourself the village leader and your support system, the people who will keep your land thriving. No trespassers allowed! Your peer-based group can be one house, supportive family members can have another and your sober friends can have another. You don’t have to cut off people you love who want to enter recovery as well. Place them on the opposite end of your village. You can support them on their journey but your recovery has to come first. 

6. Adopt Healthy Habits 

When you have an addiction, using it is often the first thing on your mind. It’s easy to neglect the things you need to stay physically and mentally healthy. Now that you’re in recovery, you can develop good habits to help you feel good inside and out. 

Try to eat healthy meals, whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Mindful eating will give your body the nourishment it needs to fuel you as your body adjusts to life without the substance. Drink hydrating beverages like water or juice. Talk with your doctor about which foods are best for your individual dietary needs. 

Now’s an excellent time to come up with a self-care routine. Indulge in a bubble bath, go for walks in the fresh air, start a new book series or pick up a new hobby. You can replace the time you used to use with things that cater to your mind and body. 

You can’t avoid all stress. It’s part of life but you can find new ways to cope with it. Your exercise of choice, learning to meditate, journaling and other practices can help you calm your body and release negative thoughts. 

7. Listen to music

While music will not cure you of your addiction, it can be therapeutic to listen to while recovering. If you don’t know anyone else suffering from addiction, it can help you listen to relatable voices about the struggle of dealing with it and triumph of overcoming it. You can check out our blog post on songs about addiction. 

8. Celebrate Your Recovery 

Beating addiction is no joke. You’re rewiring your brain and facing your illness head-on. Achieving that is worthy of celebration. Never forget to celebrate your sobriety, whether it’s been a day or a decade. Tell people about your journey so they can offer support and congratulations. 

There’s a reason why programs give out chips or other tokens. It’s positive reinforcement for your brain that you did the right thing which can make your triggers a little less daunting. 

Overcoming Addiction 

You can overcome your addiction with the right resources and support. Don’t let a substance cut your life short. If you need help getting started, you can contact the national helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. You can also download the Declutter The Mind meditation app to help you cope with your thoughts during recovery. 

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Beth is the mental health editor at Body+Mind. She has 5+ years of experience writing about behavioral health, specifically mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Beth also writes about the power of human design to reveal our potential. You can find her on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth Rush.

The post How to Overcome Addiction: 6 Tips for Recovery appeared first on Declutter The Mind.

What is MBCT and how can it improve your life? It combines elements of cognitive therapy with mindfulness training. It’s a fusion of Western and Eastern practices representing the most effective methods for helping people make better decisions, relate well with others, solve problems, and create a beautiful future for themselves and all they love. 

All this sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? What else do you need to know before choosing a therapist or getting started with these methods independently? Here’s your crash course in what mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is and how you can use it to find happiness, purpose and inner peace. 

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Cognitive Therapy Principles 

Cognitive therapy recognizes that many of the problems humans face originate in their minds as much as, if not more than, their external circumstances. Much of the suffering people endure daily comes from cognitive distortions. 

1. What Are Cognitive Distortions? 

Cognitive distortions are internal biases or established thought patterns that increase your misery and fuel anxiety. The human brain constantly filters an onslaught of information from all the senses, but the perceptions aren’t always accurate. Experiences color reality, and it takes a conscious effort to see clearly and practice what the Buddhists call “right thought.” 

Being unable to see reality as it is adds fuel to the fire of people’s problems. Cognitive distortions can make an already challenging situation worse. It’s often easier to learn from examples than explanations. Here are some of the most common cognitive distortions and intrusive thoughts people use:

• Black and white thinking: I am a failure in every way. 
• Catastrophizing/jumping to conclusions: I’m going to get fired and become homeless. 
• Personalization: It’s all my fault. 
• Negative mental filter: I am terrible at healthy living. 
• Magnification and minimization: It’s the end of the world, or it doesn’t matter at all. 
• Comparison: Everyone is happier or more successful than me. 
• Labeling: This situation is impossible. I’m a bad person. 
• Disqualifying the positive: My hard work meant nothing. I just got lucky. 

Problems arise when you cling to these cognitive distortions and treat them as gospel truth. They can fuel depression and anxiety by preventing you from taking the very steps you need to feel better. About 16.2 million American adults experience at least one major depressive episode each year, and it’s vital to learn how to cope.

For example, you know exercise boosts mood, but your cognitive distortion believes you simply aren’t athletic. In reality, you tried one or two workouts, had some bad experiences and decided that no exercise plan would ever suit you. You accept this reality as true, give up and never go back to the gym. However, you continue feeling depressed about your low energy levels and decreasing physical abilities. 

The truth is, getting mindful and exploring your preferences could reveal a fitness routine that brings incredible joy, be it solo hiking or a crowded Zumba class. Your likes may even change from day to day. You might even discover you love an activity you previously thought you didn’t enjoy. For example, you might have accidentally stumbled into the wrong Ashtanga class when seeking gentle yoga but find solace when you discover the Yin style. 

2. How Cognitive Therapy Addresses Cognitive Distortions

One thing science knows is that your thoughts influence physical health. Therefore, clinging to cognitive distortions can do more than cause mental suffering. Addressing them and changing these negative ideas is the goal of cognitive therapy. 

Once again, an example illustrates this principle best. Here’s how cognitive therapy would address some of the distortions seen above: 

• Black and white thinking: In response to your statement, “I am a failure in every way,” a cognitive therapist may ask, “Is that true? Can you tell me a time when you succeeded at something?” You might recall doing well on a work project or protecting your child from danger. 

• Catastrophizing: In response to, “I’m going to lose my job and become homeless,” a cognitive therapist might say, “That is one possibility but far from the only one.” From there, you might examine ways you can keep your job or find one that’s even better, improving your economic situation and ability to house yourself. 

• Negative mental filter: In response to, “I’m terrible at fitness,” your cognitive therapist may ask you to describe what makes you believe that. From there, you can explore other exercise forms that may suit your unique and beautiful body better. 

The Beauty of Mindfulness

One issue with addressing cognitive distortions is that people believe these maladaptive thoughts and ideas are gospel truths and an integral part of who they are. Think back to the last time you lectured someone that something they deeply believed was wrong. Human instinct is to perceive and repel threats, and shaking a person’s faith causes discomfort that compels them to reject what you have to say regardless of how right or true it is. 

How can you change deeply held beliefs without encountering this resistance? That’s where mindfulness comes in. 

Before you can begin addressing cognitive distortions, you must understand one vital truth. Your thoughts and emotions are not you. Your emotions are a type of perception, and your thoughts are how you interpret those feelings and the other stimuli bombarding you through sight, smell and sound, making sense of all the data. Neither one is you — and only by recognizing that your thoughts are not you can you change them. 

Mindfulness allows the truth of what you learn to bubble up from deep within. It’s the opposite of an external figure telling you “You should think that” or “You should think this.” It allows you to explore your perceptions on a deeper level, experience clarity, and arrive at a conclusion that compels genuine change far more than any lecture or advice. 

MBCT: Combining Cognitive Therapy and Mindfulness Training 

Now that you have a thorough understanding of what MBCT is and how it works, you can begin exploring how combining the two can be an effective therapeutic modality for many people. 

1. The Benefits of MBCT 

Science has confirmed several benefits of MBCT. Before you begin your journey, it’s helpful to know what the research says and what you can hope to achieve by embracing this modality. 

Reducing Depression and Anxiety 

According to recent research, MBCT can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. This modality may not have come too soon, as rates of both disorders have spiked since the pandemic. One study showed it could prevent a relapse of major depressive disorder for up to 60 weeks — more than a year — when combined with medication and continued treatment. 

Anxiety and depression often go hand in hand. When you feel as if there is nothing you can do in the face of an unpredictable and unkind fate, fear can morph into despair. You might be able to stop the decline by using MBCT techniques. 

Improved Psychological Resilience 

Psychological resilience refers to your ability to withstand stress. Researchers are currently investigating the effect of MBCT in populations that experience an inordinate stress load in modern society. This modality may offer a realistic treatment approach for disadvantaged people who struggle to maintain consistent mental health care because of external pressures.

MBCT has demonstrated effectiveness in improving psychological resilience among children with physical health disorders. Researchers conjecture that including parents in future studies could reduce stress on the family unit. 

Increased Emotional Regulation 

Psychologists define emotional regulation as the ability to use healthy strategies to diffuse negative emotions without harming the self or others. That’s a mouthful — you might also describe it as the ability to deal with your feelings without making a bad situation worse or spreading the misery you feel. 

Studies demonstrate the effectiveness of MBCT in improving emotional regulation in children. These skills stick with kids for life, giving them a head start on dealing with their feelings. Those who can do so most effectively often experience the greatest success and happiness. 

Building Compassion for Self 

A lack of self-compassion can lead to negative thoughts, such as, “I’m a horrible person.” Self-compassion doesn’t mean ignoring your mistakes and becoming self-indulgent. It entails taking a clear, honest look at yourself and your behaviors, acknowledging your flaws while also accepting that you’re human. 

Those who cannot exercise self-compassion are prone to black-and-white thinking, which they may spread to others. For example, they may label people as all bad, dehumanizing them instead of recognizing their shared humanity. Conversely, those who have ample self-compassion enjoy improved mental health and fewer bouts of anxiety and depression. They’re also less lonely, as they can find commonalities with those around them. 

Improved Cognitive Performance

Those who don’t think cognitive performance affects overall mental health and well-being have never seen the dismay on the face of someone with dementia as they struggle to remember a once-familiar name. Fortunately, MBCT and mindfulness techniques can improve cognition and may prevent decline. 

The effects are so profound that even one session of mindfulness meditation improved scores on a common cognitive performance test. The results occurred regardless of whether the individual was an experienced meditator or a novice — all saw improvements. 

2. Getting Started With MBCT

You’re convinced of the MBCT benefits and are ready to start your journey. Here are some resources that may guide you as you expand your knowledge: 

• “The Mindful Way Workbook: An 8-Week Program to Free Yourself From Depression and Emotional Distress” by John D. Teasdale

• “Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life” by Jon Kabat-Zinn

• “The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself From Chronic Unhappiness” by J. Mark G. Williams 

3. Finding an MBCT-Trained Treatment Team 

Although mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has shown impressive benefits, not all therapists are trained in this modality. Therefore, part of your search for care entails asking questions. When inquiring about an initial appointment, ask if the professional underwent additional training in mindfulness techniques. It’s also helpful if they’ve managed similar concerns akin to the issues you face.

Incorporating MBCT Techniques Into Daily Life 

Even if you don’t seek professional therapy, you can improve your life by incorporating MBCT techniques. Here are several that you can try as you begin your exploration. 

1. Mindfulness Meditation 

Think of your thoughts as a flowing river. The purpose of mindfulness meditation is to learn to observe them without engaging with them — or, metaphorically speaking, to sit on the bank of the river watching them go by instead of diving in, trying to swim and drowning. This exercise begins to separate you from your thoughts so you can see how they affect you. 

You can use the river visualization to facilitate mindfulness or another mental organizer, such as imagining yourself as an impartial scientist, writing down each thought in a notebook as it comes and then turning to a fresh page. 

First, begin by simply observing your thoughts and separating yourself from them. From there, you can expand your self-awareness. How do certain ideas make you feel? How does the combination of thought and feeling create your present reality, and is it what you want? If not, how can you change your mood? 

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2. Mindful Walking 

Mindful walking is sometimes a gentler introduction to meditation than sitting quietly. You may feel too restless if you have anxiety, and sitting still may lead to rumination — diving right into that thought river and getting carried away. 

To perform mindful walking, direct your awareness to the feel of your feet as they stride. How does the impact of your body meeting earth reverberate? What do you feel? Tune into sensations. Is your heart rate slightly increased? Do you feel the air on your skin? 

3. Mindful Eating 

Mindful eating is a powerful exercise to inform you how various foods affect you, mind and body. It may also help some people with eating disorders as they gain awareness of the physical sensations they experience during a meal instead of using food to numb painful emotions. 

Everything from prepping your meal to eating it is part of mindful eating. You can begin with the mindful chocolate exercise and expand your practice, even sharing it with your kids. How does blending various ingredients affect the flavor and color of a dish? How do the aromas affect your anticipation? Can you feel your mouth water?

Put down your fork between bites and savor each one, letting food dissolve on your tongue or exploring their texture. Observe your thoughts and feelings — what can you do if the energy of guilt arises in you, for example? Can you comfort and ensure yourself you need the right nutrition, like a mother caring for an ailing child? 

Challenges of MBCT and How to Overcome Them 

One of the biggest challenges of MBCT is confusing meditation with rumination. Doing so can throw you back into negative patterns, such as black-and-white thinking, without you noticing it. Therefore, while it’s fine to try these techniques for yourself, those with severe mental health concerns should seek professional care. Find free or low-cost alternatives, such as support groups or a mental health app, if you can’t afford traditional treatment. 

MBCT: Change Yourself, Improve the World 

As you gain mindfulness and correct your cognitive distortions through MBCT, you might experience a funny side effect. You start to recognize synchronicities and the truth behind the saying, “change comes from within.” You’ll see that when you feel better on the inside, the world seems far less threatening and scary. 

You also recognize the interdependence among living things and systems. When you feel better inside, you treat people better on the outside. Doing so improves their mental health, and your example may inspire others to take similar steps to control their emotions. A society filled with happy, well-adjusted people has fewer of the stressors that trigger cognitive distortions in the first place. By healing yourself, you also heal the collective. 

Use MBCT to Improve Your Life

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy has the scientifically demonstrated power to ease mental health symptoms and improve your outlook and mood. It facilitates the behavioral changes that lead to a better life, and it does so without force. Although you may have to discipline yourself to begin your practice and need outside help to guide you, the revelations you receive arise from within. 

Learning MBCT techniques can improve your existence, even if you don’t have mental health woes. Embrace these methods and experience greater joy in life by tuning into the present moment.

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Beth is the mental health editor at Body+Mind. She has 5+ years of experience writing about behavioral health, specifically mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Beth also writes about the power of human design to reveal our potential. You can find her on Twitter @bodymindmag. Subscribe to Body+Mind for more posts by Beth Rush.

The post What Is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)?  appeared first on Declutter The Mind.