Mindfulness: The What, The Why and The How, As Told by a DC Therapist
Written By: Michele Chichizola, LGPC
Mindfulness, the New Buzzword
“Mindfulness” has become a buzzword over the past several years. Social media has exacerbated the use of the jargon with threads and posts surrounding living in the present or mindful awareness. Initially, I was excited by the newfound attention this evidence-based practice and effective intervention was getting. But, the more I spoke with clients in a therapeutic at our DC-based practice setting about the practice of mindfulness, the more I noticed how few people truly understand what exactly mindfulness really is.
Truthfully, until formal training in mindfulness-based practices, and the benefits of paying attention in the present moment without judgment, I didn’t either. I thought mindfulness meant gongs, yoga, and perhaps a lotus flower tattoo. Sure, some of these things can be true, but being truly mindful is so much more and our team of therapists get that.
What is Mindfulness?
I remember the exact moment when the concept of mindfulness finally clicked in my head. I was in a museum passing time on a rainy day. There was an exhibit displaying multiple statues of the Buddha and wind chimes often used in meditation practices. I remember taking in the sights and learning about vibrational frequencies, but not truly getting it.
My revelation happened in the gift shop, naturally. I picked up a book called How to Sit by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. I opened to a random page where the reader was encouraged to sit and bring awareness to the force your body was putting onto the chair and in turn, work to notice the force that the chair was putting on your body. I took a deep breath, followed the practice, and something clicked. That day, I sat with true awareness for the first time.
Mindfulness is the awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally, as defined by American professor and the master of mindfulness, John Kabat-Zinn. When practicing mindfulness one allows themselves to truly experience their environment while acknowledging one’s thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations or actions. When practicing mindfulness, it is critical to use this gentle and non-judgemental lens. The goal is to simply notice and experience the present, in the service of self-understanding.
Why Mindfulness?
It is common in the therapy world to describe anxiety as a condition about the future and depression as a condition about the past. I say, if anxiety exists in the future and depression exists in the past, the only way to avoid both must be in the present. Cute right? But still not enough to convince anyone of the true why.
Something that may resonate a bit more may be to think about those frustrating irrational thoughts that many of us experience. It has almost become the human condition to enter anxiety and/or shame spirals that teleport us to another moment in time. With mindfulness, one is able to catch these spiraling thoughts as they happen, and therefore, address them quickly (with proper insight and coping skills, of course).
In a true mindfulness practice, you will not only be noticing the thoughts, but also the bodily sensations (typically warning signs from our nervous system), and the feelings driving the stress response. You’ll also be able to bring awareness to the environmental condition where the stress response is occurring. Mindfulness becomes a pathway toward peace, and finding calm in the here and now.
How To Build A Mindfulness Practice
The key word here is practice. It is important to remember that mindfulness is a practice, one that requires time, commitment, patience, and grace. You can begin to develop a mindfulness practice by setting aside as little as one minute per day. This can be a minute spent laying down, washing the dishes, listening to music, or any other daily task. In this minute you will want to intentionally bring your full attention to the present, and draw awareness to how your mind, body, and breath are working together. Do this daily and reflect on your practice nightly. Listen to your body, and slowly begin to increase the duration of mindful moments.
The following are three ways I like to practice mindfulness:
Mindful Eating
Mindfulness and sensory experiences go hand in hand. I think food can be a fun place to activate our senses and practice mindfulness. Next time you are eating, find a comfortable place to sit and bring your awareness to the present. Notice the texture of your food. Deeply breathe in and smell the dish. Think about the temperature of your food as it enters your mouth, and how it feels as your chew. Feel it traveling into your body and through your digestive system. Get personal with it.
Mindfulness Meditation
Meditation takes time. When I first started, I would listen to pre-recorded guided meditations prompting me to visualize myself in a garden or watching my thoughts float away in a stream. I remember the only thoughts I was noticing were “I am not in a garden. This is boring, and I have stuff to do.” I was going too quickly, and not truly allowing myself to surrender to the present moment. I often encourage first time meditators to simply sit in a comfortable position, breathe, close their eyes, bring awareness to their body, and picture a white light. Stay in this condition and listen, your body will tell you what to do.
Deep Breathing
I love a good belly breath. True, intentional, deep breathing is hard. Our bodies typically aren’t used to this practice, and quickly grow exhausted. I encourage people to try this while laying down in bed. Not only will it do wonders for your nervous system, but it can be a powerful way to pay attention in the present moment, a foundation for mindfulness.
Want to learn more about mindfulness? Therapists in DC can help.
The self-discovery and identity therapists at our therapy practice in Washington, DC can help you gain insight into yourself and discover what is truly important to you while practicing mindfulness therapy. We are here to help guide you on this journey of self-discovery as you develop mindfulness skills and habits to support your mental health. Let’s get started with these steps.
Schedule a consultation with us using our therapy appointment form.
Meet with one of our skilled therapists.
Live a more balanced and authentic life!
Other Therapy Services in DC
In addition to mindfulness therapy, we offer a multitude of services to support you. Our individual services include therapy for self-esteem, support for relationship challenges, and exploring identities as well as executive function support. We also offer couples therapy for those that are looking to grow in their relationships. We would love to chat with you today about the ways we can support your growth at our counseling practice serving the Washington, DC area!
