What does Mindfulness mean to you and is it something that you practice?

2016-05-20T14:55:05-04:00

Response by SFC Craig Dalen made May 20 at 2016 2:58 PM

2016-05-20T14:58:05-04:00

I believe it means the ability to be of sound mind and respect.

Response by TSgt Dawn Premock made May 20 at 2016 3:49 PM

2016-05-20T15:49:45-04:00

I have been taught mindfulness in therapy, but I still have trouble using it when I need it the most.

Response by Sgt Private RallyPoint Member made May 20 at 2016 5:50 PM

2016-05-20T17:50:08-04:00

Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM I know the mind can move mountains. I am a beginner in tapping the powers of my mind.

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made May 20 at 2016 6:22 PM

2016-05-20T18:22:38-04:00

It is, as if, you drove by the fields and saw a multitude of spring flowers to brighten up the day.

Response by CPT Joseph K Murdock made May 20 at 2016 7:38 PM

2016-05-20T19:38:08-04:00

Mindfulness means looking to the left and seeing the Spring Flowers in full bloom, in a drab sky.

Response by COL Mikel J. Burroughs made May 21 at 2016 5:31 PM

2016-05-21T17:31:21-04:00

Kim Bolen RN CCM ACM Its all about self-awareness and here are some great tips for thoss suffering from PTSD.

In mindfulness meditation we alter the relationship to our thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations so that we do not become entangled in an endless, self-reinforcing loop and leap to the conclusion that some aspect of what we are feeling portends doom. We simply observe them moment by moment and nonjudgmentally, viewing them simply as what they are: thoughts, sensations, and feelings; nothing more, nothing less. The trick is to keep our minds from ruminating in response to the internally generated cues. You may report benefits after just 10-20 minutes of practice. You can use this technique each time you have an interjection of traumatic affect or a disturbing memory.

Begin with an awareness of breathing:
1. Choose a time of day when you are the most awake and alert. Sit upright on the floor or a chair, keeping the spine straight and maintaining a relaxed but erect posture so you do not get drowsy.
2. Now focus on your breathing, on the sensations it triggers throughout the body. Notice how your abdomen moves with each inhalation and exhalation.
3. Focus on the tip of the nose, noticing the different sensations that arise with each breath.
4. When you notice that you have been distracted by unrelated thoughts or feelings that have arisen, simply return your focus to your breathing.

You can also try something called the body scan:

1. Sit upright on the floor or chair, keeping the spine straight and maintaining a relaxed but erect posture s you do not get drowsy.
2. Move your attention systematically around your body, from one location to the next–toe, foot, ankle, leg, and knee. Notice the specific sensation at each, such as tingling or pressure or temperature. Don’t think about those parts of the body, but experience the sensations. In this way you cultivate awareness of your body in the context of nonjudgmental awareness.
3. If you start to get lost in a chain of thought or feeling, you can reengage with your breathing to settle your mind.

Try it for five to ten minutes a day, ideally twice a day. After a few weeks you should find that your relationship to your inner thoughts, feelings, and sensations has changed. You are now able to experience them with less judgement, panic, or obsession. You can be aware of them without getting sucked into the vortex that they often create.
Another great thing to do is to arrange things so you have more external stimuli to focus on. Keep a radio on but don’t let it become background noise. Multitask, checking e-mail while you watch TV or listening to music while you work. This will leave you with fewer attentional resources to devote to internal sensations, decreasing your signal-to-noise ratio.