Health

If you sometimes lose control of your thoughts and this plunges you into a state of stress that is difficult to overcome, mindfulness meditation is for you. Able to be practiced anywhere, this particular form of meditation helps you tame and master the physical and mental demands you face in order to overcome your stress and anxiety.

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS MEDITATION?

Mindfulness meditation is a practice derived from Buddhism. It is different from other forms of meditation because it does not focus attention on a single object but on all the demands that surround us: thoughts, physical sensations, sounds, etc. Its goal is to teach you to accept your emotions and thoughts, whether positive or negative, without repressing them and without them overwhelming you.
We speak of "mindfulness" because the exercises allow you to fully feel your emotions, your bodily sensations, your breathing, sounds and your vision, without judgment and without restriction. Mindfulness meditation teaches you how to self-regulate your attention in order to develop a state of constant alertness, giving you the opportunity to fully live in the present moment.

WHAT CAN MINDFULNESS MEDITATION BRING ME?

The goal of mindfulness meditation exercises is to learn to detach yourself from your thoughts in order to reduce your anxiety and stress in everyday life. They help you to welcome sensations, whether positive, negative or neutral, to understand them and to evacuate them. These exercises help you to fight against the distraction of thought and the avoidance of painful physical sensations and emotions, states of mind characteristic of anxiety disorders.

Mindfulness meditation exercises will give you the keys to identify the moments when your thoughts and emotions are about to invade you so that you can evacuate them to find your calm again.

WHERE AND WHEN CAN I PRACTICE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION?

You can practice meditation wherever you want. You don’t have to be in a quiet place, you just have to feel comfortable. Then choose a time of day when you are available to do your exercises. This can be in the morning before starting the day, or in the evening to calm down before going to bed. You can also use meditation in the moment to calm yourself down when you are faced with an anxiety-provoking situation.

Many mindfulness meditation programs, presented in books, videos and applications, allow you to discover the basics of this practice. You can also attend group sessions if you want to follow a complete program.

HOW DOES A MEDITATION PROGRAM WORK?

A program generally has around ten sessions to learn the basics of mindfulness meditation or to deepen your practice.

If you are a beginner, the goal of the first part of your program will be to focus your attention on your body, your breathing and your thoughts. By following the path of your thoughts, you will gradually become aware of the wandering of your mind. In a second step, metaphors, stories and poems associated with breathing exercises will help you take a step back from the internal and external solicitations that you receive in order to recognize and accept them, without them becoming a source of anxiety.
As you practice, you will be able to reach a state of full awareness in your daily life, that is to say, being ready to welcome each emotion, thought or situation that presents itself to you without it overwhelming you.