The mind is a powerful tool. Our creativity, emotions, and decisions stem from the way we process our thoughts every day. More times than not, we don’t use the mind’s fullest capabilities to benefit ourselves.
We teach meditation practices to our students in Laguna Hills, Escondido, and Kearny Mesa so that they can use mindfulness in their personal and professional lives. They are shown the importance of meditation in their courses and are encouraged to practice outside of the classroom.
Meditation is an influential practice that can be exercised in different ways. One of those ways is through mindful meditation. This form of meditation is a mental training practice that involves focusing the mind on your experiences in the present moment.
Here are the steps to practice mindfulness meditation:
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Find A Quiet Place
Begin your practice in a space that you feel comfortable unwinding in. Stay away from noisy areas that will affect your ability to focus. It is helpful to sit in a chair or rest your head on the floor while keeping your head, neck, and back straight.
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Stay In The Present
The biggest component in this type of meditation is staying in the present. Mindfulness meditation focuses only on the present. Therefore you must practice putting aside all thoughts of the past and future.
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Bring In Awareness
As your thoughts are centered on the present moment, start to bring awareness to your surroundings. Notice your breath and the sensation of the air flowing in and out of your body. Your breath should flow into your nose and leave your mouth. Breathe from your belly and feel it rise and fall. Pay attention to the way each breath changes.
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Notice Your Thoughts
Regardless of how long your meditation practice lasts, you will experience hundreds of thoughts going through your mind. Watch each thought come and go, whether they are positive or negative. When thoughts come up in your mind, don’t ignore or suppress them, instead recognize them and use your breathing as an anchor.
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Return To Your Breathing
During mindful meditation, getting carried away in your thoughts is normal and expected. When this happens, observe where your thoughts went without judgement, then return to your focused breathing. Training your brain to come back to the present moment is a continuous practice.
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Finish Gradually
When your practice comes to a close, relax for a few minutes to become aware of your environment. Finish by giving yourself gratitude for making time to take care of yourself.
Meditation is called a “practice” because it cannot ever be fully mastered. Regardless of how long you have been mindfully meditating, each moment requires continuous work.
One of our main focuses at Healing Hands is providing our students with the proper tools and education that will help them create a balance between their mind, body, and soul. Because these three elements are closely connected, the mind can affect your entire being in strong ways.
At all of our campuses, our students are learning about not only how to provide the best healing for their clients, but also how they can provide the best healing for themselves. To learn more about starting your career path with our community, fill out our form, and come by for a tour: