Be the Best you: with Angie & Calum Best
GIVE YOUR MIND, BODY AND SOUL A WORKOUT WITH ANGIE & CALUM BEST…
MINDFULNESS – COULD IT WORK FOR ME?
Angie: How did mindfulness become so popular? Your mum probably often told you to be ‘mindful’ – mind your head, mind that swing…! Now, being mindful has been reinvented for the 21st century. We have apps on our phones for it and there’s even mindfulness-based therapy for depression.
Mindfulness is often described as ‘bringing one’s attention to things happening in the now’. Living in the now sounds like quite a challenge when most of us feel we have to plan carefully just to get through the week!
I spoke to Mallika Chopra, the daughter of Deepak Chopra (a world leader in New Age medicine), and she suggests we stop rushing through life and pay attention to the world around us. We can still plan ahead, but it’s about trying to reconnect with our bodies and sensations – sights, smells, tastes – so we can understand ourselves better and enjoy life more.
So, mindfulness is an attitude towards how to live minute by minute. It might be as simple as noticing the feel of the bannister under your hand as you walk up the stairs. Or looking up at the colour of the sky while you’re at the bus stop. It’s about being aware of the present moment and living it – even if that just means taking a few deep breathes while you’re boiling the kettle!
Awareness of thoughts and feelings can help us deal with stress. If something’s bothering you, ask yourself, ‘Is brooding about this helpful, or am I just trapped in my thoughts?’ Give it a go!