Mindfullness (Chapter 3) - McKay et al. - 2021 - Article

Much of the stress that people experience is from worrying about the past or about the future. When one focuses on what one is doing now, there is no room to think about anything else. Mindfulness meditation is a form of meditation that can help to achieve deep relaxation and insight. It is a way to create a harmonious relationship with what is. Whatever you focus your attention one, you should always keep a gentle, non-judgmental and embracing attitude.

What is this chapter about?

Much of the stress that people experience is from worrying about the past or about the future. When one focuses on what one is doing now, there is no room to think about anything else. Mindfulness meditation is a form of meditation that can help to achieve deep relaxation and insight. It is a way to create a harmonious relationship with what is. Whatever you focus your attention one, you should always keep a gentle, non-judgmental and embracing attitude.

What is eating meditation?

The authors describe a conscious-eating meditation. They use a sandwich as an example, and state that you should: note the colour, shape, and texture of the sandwich and you should evaluate how you feel toward it. You should also be aware of your intention to begin eating: when you lift the sandwich, be aware of the lifting movement. Smell the food, and also feel how your teeth penetrate the bread. How does the food feel in your mouth? When you swallow, try to be aware of how the muscles contract and relax. Lastly, as you continue to each your sandwich, try to be aware of as many sensations as you can.

They also describe a walking meditation, and seeing meditation, which is pretty fun to read.

How can mindfulness be used for pain or discomfort?

People often try to resist pain. However, the more they resist it, the more it hurts. An alternative way is to soften around it: acknowledge the pain’s presence, and them allow yourself to experience whatever it is that hurts. When you do this, you relax your tense and you focus on the hurting itself. Softening also means that you notice but disregard your thoughts about how awful the discomfort is.