6 simple steps to mastering mindful meditation

We all speak about being mindful but what’s the first step actually doing it? Elizabeth Whelan, organiser of Dublin’s ‘Feel Good Fest’, gives us a guide. 

Life today is becoming more stressful and complex daily and individuals are seeking more and more ways to deal with these pressures in their lives.

Mindfulness is talked about widely as a simple tool to assist us in dealing with these daily challenges. 

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the individual’s ability to be fully present in their body, in other words being fully conscious of who you are; where you are; what you are doing in the present and blocking out everything else around you. 

It is a fact that individuals who engage with mindfulness are better equipped to deal with the stresses and strains which life brings and all this can be done with little expense. 

One of the key tools to assist mindfulness is meditation. Meditation is the practice where individuals focus their mind on a particular object thought or activity with the aim of a mentally clear, emotionally calm and stable state. Combined with mindfulness meditation can be used to reduce stress and anxiety as well as depression and pin and increase peace, perception, self-esteem and wellbeing. 

How to meditate

The key to mindful meditation is to set time aside and follow the following basic steps:

1. Set aside time and find a peaceful place to sit in to carry put our mindful meditation. You should sit in comfortable chair with a solid floor and make sure you are not interrupted.
2. Your arms and legs should be relaxed with your hands placed on your thighs.
3. Drop your gaze or close your eyes and concentrate on the present and nothing else.
4. Listen and feel your breath as the air moves through your body. Look out for the rise and fall of your chest and belly as you breathe in and out.
5. Concentrate on the here and now and if required use assisted music to focus your mind. When your mind wanders bring it back to your breath and the here and now.
6. When complete open your eyes or lift your gaze and notice how your body feels at this point.

Find your time

This is a very simple way to start mindful meditation but there are many tips and exercises readily available at little cost. The key now is for you to find the time. Ideally it should be done daily and if you persist it is more than likely you will find significant improvements in your mood, stress levels and overall wellbeing. 

Obviously mindful meditation is only one small element of self-improvement but it is a great start. 

Find out more about mindful meditation and an afternoon of motivation at Elizabeth Whelan’s Zestivo “Feel Good Fest” which takes place at the Radisson Blu Hotel Golden Lane, Dublin, from 1pm-6pm on September 8. 

Elizabeth will delve deeper into the benefits of mindfulness and combine it with yoga; nutrition; fashion; feng shui skin care and make-up…well as goodie bags and great prizes. 

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