The Beauty of Mindfulness – by Milan Bakrania

When was the last time you gave your brain a rest?

Can you remember a time when you were not regretting the past or worrying about the future, when you were still and unburdened?

There’s something about the human race that makes us different from other living things. We can contemplate, question our existence, revel in exploration and realize our dreams. But, we can also tire ourselves out. Yes, we’ve embraced stress, there’s no doubt about it and the festive season is a particularly stressful time because of the expectations placed on individuals.

Thankfully, we’re good at finding solutions. One of the ways we deal with stress is by using an ancient method called mindfulness.

The idea of focusing the mind is older than recorded history. We’re all capable of doing it. Athletes do it all the time, as do musicians, stage performers, doctors and students. They enter a zone or a state of mind where they’re completely focused on the present moment; that’s mindfulness.

But, why bother being mindful in the first place? A lot of research has been done on this subject and the benefits are hard to ignore:

Preventing disease

An erratic and shallow breathing pattern means that parts of your body are not receiving the correct amounts of oxygenated blood. If this continues for a long period of time it can stress out organs leading to disease. Simply focusing on the moment will bring your attention to your breath, allowing you to correct it.

Increased concentration

Concentration is the strength that is derived from being mindful. When you’re focused on a task, the two hemispheres of the brain begin to communicate via a connecting tissue called the corpus callosum. The size of this tissue will depend on how focused you are and how far your brain has developed. A large corpus callosum results in faster communication between the two hemispheres of the brain. This can be developed in early childhood through mind-focusing or mindful activities such as learning a musical instrument.

Developing self-control

In some people it’s far easier to become irritable or angry compared to being calm. The reason is a lack of emotional discipline. Mindfulness can train the mind to become calm in difficult situations so that judgement is no longer clouded by uncontrollable emotions. In turn, we can overcome impatience, feelings of hatred and vulnerability.

Sleeping better

Your body requires rest both physically and mentally. It’s a fact. Good quality sleep every night helps your body to recharge. In a state of sleep, the brain stops maintaining consciousness, reduces some of its sensitivity to sensory input, relaxes skeletal muscles, and completes many administrative functions such as the consolidation and storage of memory, dreaming, and development of nervous tissue.

Though naps and meditation are great ways of adding a silver lining to your day, there’s nothing like seven to eight hours of deep, uninterrupted sleep. In babies, the length can be as long as 16 hours per day due to the increased amount of melatonin hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It’s this hormone which has a sedative effect on the brain, helping to induce sleep. However, the pineal gland produces less melatonin as people age, resulting in difficulty sleeping during adulthood. Mindfulness is great way to reactivate the pineal gland, often referred to as the third eye.

Believing in yourself

We are often fazed by external factors. Some people even go through an entire lifetime being controlled by those around them. There is a way out. First, correct your breathing so that your mind and body can respond peacefully. Next, accept that you are in control of your life. No one can make you happy besides yourself. No one can make decisions for you except you, and the only thing holding you back are your own fears. To believe in yourself and love yourself like this is your last day on earth comes from one thing, being mindful. Only when you are focused in the moment will you be able to forgive the past, allow the future to unravel and more importantly, forgive yourself.

Healthy body, healthy mind

Neuroscientists have been able to prove that any task which focuses the mind can increase the area of the brain linked to regulating emotion, thus improving attention, job performance, productivity and satisfaction. Such mindful tasks also increase the blood flow, reduce blood pressure, and protect people at risk of developing hypertension. It’s also known to reduce the risk and severity of cardiovascular disease, and the risk of dying from it.

Eating to reduce stress

Did you know that a simple change in your diet can lead to a peaceful outlook? It’s true. There are certain foods known for their stress-busting properties:

• Pistachio Nuts – Helps to reduce blood pressure and heart rate.
• Oatmeal – Increases the level of a calming hormone in the brain called serotonin.
• Spinach – Rich in Vitamin C and magnesium. Magnesium can help ward off stress and boost energy.
• Kiwi Fruit – Reduces stress hormones in the blood.
• Sweet Potato – Helps to control blood sugar levels thereby reducing stress.
• Turkey – High in an amino acid called L-tryptophan which is used to release the feel-good hormone, serotonin.
• Walnuts – Helps to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids – Found in oily fish like salmon, is known to decrease anxiety.

The reverse is also true. Sugary and high-carbohydrate meals can put us on an emotional roller-coaster leading to cravings and a bad mood making it difficult to focus on the present moment. So the next time you’re feeling down, check your diet. What kind of foods are you eating? Clean foods that are raw (in their original states) or processed foods high in preservatives, sugar and fat?

Being mindful, now!

Leave your troubles at the door, surrender and take a deep, fulfilling breath. Follow these steps to set yourself in the room in which you sit:

Look out of a window. Look in the distance. What’s the farthest thing you can see?

Focus on that for a few seconds and describe it fully in your head.

Then bring your line of vision a little closer; what do you see now?

Continue doing this until you see the window itself, and eventually yourself.

You can do the same thing by closing your eyes and focusing on all the sounds you hear, edging slowly to the beat of your heart. It’s a quick and simple way to regain focus, something you can do anywhere.

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Extract from Day of Mindfulness: Living in the Moment by Milan Bakrania – Available in Paperback and eBook on Amazon.

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Author Bio: Milan Bakrania

Author of the books, Day of Mindfulness and An Inspiring Afternoon

Spreads the message of hope through his writing

Website: http://www.milanbakrania.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/milanbakrania

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