Mindfulness And Meditation, The Path To Feeling Free

What is mindfulness? 

You have probably heard of mindfulness; gurus and their free-spirited followers often cite it as their go-to ‘way of life’ practice. Psychologists and scientists are also raving about the proven benefits of being mindful and incorporating mindful practices into your daily routine, yet most people still don’t know what it is and why they should do it. We are here to change that. 

Mindfulness is a practice whereby you bring your focus and attention to the present moment. It means focusing on something you are doing so intensely that all other thoughts of the past and future dissipate for very brief periods, sometimes only for a matter of seconds at a time. The aim is to free your mind of the burden itself creates. 

How to practice mindfulness:

It doesn’t matter what you are doing, even if you are doing nothing - there is a mindful way to go about it. Whether you are enjoying a cup of tea, washing the dishes, or sitting quietly on a garden bench, you can incorporate mindfulness into your daily routine. 

Let’s start with nothing. Believe it or not, doing nothing and practicing mindfulness come hand-in-hand. It is the basic principle of meditation, the richest of all mindfulness practices. 

Meditation is the art of letting go of any attachment to thoughts. The idea is to close your eyes and focus as closely as you can on each breath you take. Each time a thought enters your mind, you do not resist it, instead observe it, acknowledge it, and then direct your attention back to your breath without entertaining the thought with dialogue or expanding whatever the thought was about. 

You may find this difficult at first because it’s quite counterintuitive not to surf your thoughts, but with practice, you will find that your ability to ‘let go’ of thoughts and habitual thinking patterns will improve, as will your focus. Eventually, the distance between thoughts will increase, and there you have it, you’re a seasoned practitioner of mindfulness. 

Some people prefer to focus on particular parts of their body or bodily sensations. Either way, the intention is to focus your awareness internally, but not on your thoughts unless you are just observing them until they dissolve. 

If you want to practice mindfulness while doing something, it's actually very simple. Take doing dishes for example. Instead of thinking about work, Love Island, or who you need to call; direct your attention to every aspect of the experience of washing up: the feel of the water and soap on your hands; the shape and color of every bubble; the shine that reflects of the plate as it becomes clean. There is an abundance of experience in everything you do, but it is sadly overlooked or painted over with incessant and more often than not, unnecessary thoughts. 

What does mindfulness feel like?

Well, this will vary from practice to practice, and person to person. Most people report a sense of well-being, a calmness that stays with them throughout the day. If you experience anxiety, mindfulness is a great way to overcome it.

Some people report tingling sensations and intense feelings of euphoria and happiness too. These are great, but even without those add-ons, the quieting of the mind is enough to make meditation and mindfulness a worthwhile pursuit. That’s because it prepares your mind for the daily challenges that lie ahead. 

Bodily sensations are one of the easiest and most obvious things to direct your awareness to. The richness of the experience, however, really depends on what you are feeling at that time. The mind-body connection is really important because they influence each other.  

It is often said that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. The reverse also applies, so it is important to take care of both. There are lots of ways to take care of your body, but for the purpose of this article, we are going to focus on your gut. It is well reported that mindfulness, by definition a practice of the mind, has an impact on serotonin production. It also improves bio-markers associated with improved immune system function. 

At the same time, scientists have discovered that 95% of your serotonin production is made in the gut. Also, around 80% of your immune system is regulated by your gut. You will be forgiven for having a gut feeling that the mind-gut connection is a strong and important one that you ought to look after. 

It means that if you take care of your gut, it will do wonders for your mind. And, if you take care of your mind, it will do wonders for your body as a whole. Now, we have already covered the art of mindfulness in this article and there’s more to come, but how do you take care of your gut?

The answer: JUVIA. 

JUVIA is a natural plant-based product that provides your gut with rich enzymes that support digestion. It gives you the freedom to enjoy the foods you like without the discomfort that sometimes follows. JUVIA doesn’t add anything new to your microbiome, it simply gives it what it needs to thrive.

The last thing you want when you are trying to meditate or practice mindfulness is to be distracted by your tummy. So, let JUVIA be your mantra to free your body and your mind from those unwanted distractions. 

Mindfulness is a great way to enrich your life. If you haven’t tried it before, we highly recommend giving it a go. Even 5-10 minutes each day is enough to make a difference.