Breathing Mindfulness
There are many forms of mindfulness. Below are reactions I had within the first couple weeks of trying mindful breathing exercises.
This form of mindfulness can be implemented any time and anywhere.
I prefer mindful breathing for its flexibility and effectiveness. For me, it mostly produces immediate results but there are times where it is minimally effective, but I don't give up.
One noticeable response is within the physical impact. I notice tension releasing from my upper back and neck area while practicing.
Where and when? I practice this in any setting, whether it be in the shower, in my car on the way to and from work, at my desk, while walking or while running. I vary the amount of time spent on mindful breathing, ranging anywhere from 2 minutes to 30 minutes.
Having a subtle option of breathing mindfulness at your fingertips can really help ease tension, stress and anxiety throughout the day. There are many resources available online and through apps that provide written or verbal instructions guiding your breathing mindfulness exercises. I find the verbal instructions to be most beneficial for me and produce the best results.
Here are some snap shots of immediate reflections I had following mindful breathing exercises:
This form of mindfulness can be implemented any time and anywhere.
I prefer mindful breathing for its flexibility and effectiveness. For me, it mostly produces immediate results but there are times where it is minimally effective, but I don't give up.
One noticeable response is within the physical impact. I notice tension releasing from my upper back and neck area while practicing.
Where and when? I practice this in any setting, whether it be in the shower, in my car on the way to and from work, at my desk, while walking or while running. I vary the amount of time spent on mindful breathing, ranging anywhere from 2 minutes to 30 minutes.
Having a subtle option of breathing mindfulness at your fingertips can really help ease tension, stress and anxiety throughout the day. There are many resources available online and through apps that provide written or verbal instructions guiding your breathing mindfulness exercises. I find the verbal instructions to be most beneficial for me and produce the best results.
Here are some snap shots of immediate reflections I had following mindful breathing exercises:
- Mid-day reflection: It helps me focus on the moment and helps me process external noise (literal noise). I enjoy this downloadable guide to breathing awareness from http://www.mindfulness-solution.com/DownloadMeditations.html. The gentle reminders about the mind wandering off and to refocus on breathing are very helpful. The sustained silence in between commentary builds up anticipation and makes me wonder, when will the voice return and what will it suggest next. The focus on breathing does make me tired and thoughts towards my tiredness creep in as I exhale. It increases my sensitivity to my surroundings. I think of past decisions that I contemplate now. I coach myself and bring myself back to the breathing. I recognize stress and and preoccupation with decisions. The deep breathing highlights my pulse, which I take notice too. I sense an urge to accomplish something, to get on my computer and complete a task, to move on to the something else that can produce a result, a sense of urgency. I refocus.
- Day 2: Some days are more difficult than others. I didn’t have as much success or feel great results from deep breathing exercises that were conducted at four times throughout the day (on my way to work, before lunch, on way home from work and before bed). I attempted to fully immerse myself in a mindful meditation before bed, with dimmed lights and a candle. I used the app “Simply Being” which guided me through relaxation with music, and I practiced deep breathing simultaneously. I had a hard time with this and anticipated my exercise being interrupted. I was unable to focus on my breathing or to clear my thoughts this particular day.
- Day 3: Empty Bowl Meditation https://www.livingwell.org.au/mindfulness-exercises-3/15-empty-bowl-meditation/ - this form of breathing exercise was unique for me. I am finding in the early stages I appreciate a voice coach. I appreciated visualizing my breath going in and out and pausing at certain points. During the moments of pause my thoughts slowed significantly. In between I thought of things related mostly to what I was hearing. Different thoughts pass in and out, some rational others irrational and worrisome. Breathing exercises highlight my worries and the frequency of those particular worries. Understanding where my subconscious spends its time, helps create a healthier mindset, increasing function and capacity within myself.
- Self guided breathing (without a voice coach) - I find myself trying this all throughout the day. Long before being introduced to mindfulness, I have been one to notice myself taking long exhales at moments of relief or during stressful moments. At those points, I would try to become mindful of my breathing and slow down my thoughts and sense of urgency. Now with mindfulness in mind, I implement this even more frequently. It helps very much throughout the day. However, I am finding it hard to go beyond 2 minutes before moving back into the fast pace of thoughts and tasks.