Mindfulness Meditation Part One:

To be honest, I used to be skeptical about trying alternative therapies, let alone meditation. When I started medical school and started to feel the rigors of the system, I tried to include meditation into my daily practice to help cope with the anxiety. However instead of feeling relaxed and less anxious, I found myself getting more worked up because I kept thinking, “Jeez I could be using this time to study another chapter.” (We are always running against the clock in medical school). So I never fully invested in meditation and was unable to reap the many benefits it has to offer.

However when I started facing major life altering challenges (which led to my current hiatus from medical school), I was advised to practice meditation and remembered the concept of Mindfulness Mediation from my undergraduate years.

Mindfulness Meditation is an age old concept that is part of Buddhism. Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn is considered to be the person who introduced this concept to the West. If you are new to this concept, Mindfulness Meditation is basically the practice of bringing your attention to the present moment, noticing how you are feeling, noticing your breath in that particular moment, without any judgment.

I had come across the concept of Mindfulness Meditation during my undergraduate years when I read a book called “Full Catastrophe Living” by Jon Kabat-Zinn for a course. I tried to implement the practice back then but never fully committed to it, and soon after my course ended I sold the book. Now I wish I hadn’t! For beginners I would suggest getting your hands on a copy of Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn’s book: “Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness.” It provides a step by step guide to Mindfulness Meditation and the different ways on how it can be done. It is a very easy read.

If hard pressed for time and/ or cannot gain access to this book (although I highly recommend it), you can follow the simple steps on how to practice mindfulness meditation outlined below. They were sent to me by one of my mentors.

How to Practice Mindfulness:

1. Find a spot: Find a quiet place if possible.

2. Set a time limit: If this is your first time, you can start with two minutes and work yourself up gradually to five and then ten minutes.

3. Notice where and how you are sitting: You can sit in a chair with your feet on the floor or you can sit cross-legged. Whatever you are comfortable with.

4. Feel your breath: Follow the sensation of your breath as it goes into your body and then out of your body as you exhale.

5. Notice when your mind has wandered: Inevitably, your attention will leave the sensations of the breath and wander to other places. When you notice this, simply return your attention to the breath. Noticing is a part of this practice.

6. Be kind to your wandering mind: Don’t judge or obsess over the content of the thoughts you find yourself lost in. Just come back.

I have attached an image below (provided by another health advocate) that also outlines steps on how to practice Mindfulness Meditation with its benefits. You can take a print out of the image and follow it, if that helps.

It took me a while to commit to this practice. Initially I meditated for 2 minutes then gradually increased it to 5 minutes and then 10. Now I do it every single day and I can feel the difference in my energy levels even if it is just a small change and may last only for the duration of my mediation session. Any change is progress.

If you are interested in reading more books by Jon Kabat Zinn, I have included a link below. I haven’t read them but if you have or will, please share if you find them helpful.

https://www.mindfulnesscds.com/pages/books-by-jon-kabat-zinn