Between work and family responsibilities it can be difficult to find time for yourself and practice some much needed self-care. We spoke with mindfulness expert Anna Wikfalk, from The Mindfulness App to find out more on meditation and why it’s important to introduce it into our daily lives...
Q: Why is taking time to practice mindfulness so crucial in this day and age?
A: Because we live in a society where we are constantly online which prevents us from getting those necessary moments of stillness, of being, of non-doing. Prior to the smart phone revolution we got those moments naturally while waiting for the bus, riding the subway or walking to the office.
We also live in a society where many of us feel that we need to be available 24/7 not only for our work but also for friends and family. The idea that we have to reply to text messages, email and comments on social media posts can create a subtle but real stress on our nervous system.
Long-term stress drains our resources, taxes our nervous system and kills our creativity.
So in order to recharge and be able to create space for our creativity to blossom it’s absolutely crucial to practice mindfulness in these modern times.
Q: What are some common misconceptions about the practice of mindfulness?
A: First the idea that you need to be calm when meditating and have no thoughts! If that is your idea you will probably not meditate for very long as we all have thoughts. The purpose of meditating is not to empty your mind, to create a blank mind or get rid of our thoughts, it’s about meeting everything that is present in the moment including physical sensations in the body, thoughts in the mind, and emotions. To be with what is. Not to try to get rid of things we don’t like so that we can have a ”pleasant” experience. That is why mindfulness practice is so valuable for life in general as it will include both pleasant and unpleasant situations. When we learn to meet and greet unpleasant moments in a meditation, we are much more equipped to meet and handle those moments in daily life in a more wise way.
Another misconception is that you have to sit in a specific way, for example in lotus position on the floor. You don’t. However, if you are sitting you want to find a position where your back is upright and your chest is slightly lifted and open. It can be on a cushion on the floor or on a chair, stool or something else that is comfortable. If it is not possible for your body to stay seated you can also meditate standing, or lying down.
Q: How would you recommend introducing children to the concept of mindfulness?
A: Children often have a more natural ability than adults to be present in the moment but can highly benefit from doing both some informal and formal practices as a way to help them managing stressed later in life. With children it's great to introduce mindfulness in a playful way! One can for example start by playing with the 5 senses - smell, sound, sight, touch and taste. And really trying to pay attention to the specific smell, sound etc. One can also play with the breath by inviting children to lay on their backs with their favorite cozy animal on the belly and notice what happens as the breath moves up and down.
Children are often very open to try new things so it’s usually to introduce mindfulness to them as long as you do it in short periods each time. One can also talk to them about the importance of taking a break and move the attention inwards fore a while so that they then can reenergize and have the focus to concentrate on taking in information afterwards. A few minutes focused breathing with children can make a lot of difference in for example a classroom.
Q: What are the effects of practicing mindfulness and meditation on the body?
A: Mindfulness can help us to increase our body awareness which means that we learn the language of the body in the form of physical sensations. It can help us understand early warning signals coming from the body indicating that something needs attention. It is also a wonderful way of getting to know yourself at a deeper level. All our emotions are manifested in the body and through practicing regularly you will understand your emotional life better as you get to know the physical sensations in the body.
Old traumas and memories are also stored in the body. We can't think our way through these, the only way we can heal them is to move our awareness out in the body. Practicing mindfulness is a way to gradually get to know the landscape of your body more and more.
Q: What are some of your personal daily mindfulness practices?
A: In the morning while still lying in bed I remind myself what I am grateful for in that very moment. Just for a couple minutes allowing gratitude flowing to whatever pops up. It is a beautiful way to start the day. And then I always try to sit down to meditate for a few minutes or longer to meet the day with stillness. Feeling the breath, feeling the earth beneath me and grounding myself for this new day.
During the day I apply mindfulness in everyday life as much as I can. Reminding myself of being present with the food I am eating, the people I interact with, daily chores such as doing the laundry etc. I often do a formal practice of varied length sometime during the day to refresh, to ground and come back to the present moment.
Before going to bed I end the day with a conscious breath, a conscious dance or some other practice to prepare for a good nights sleep.
Q: What advice would you give to someone who has never practiced meditation before?
A: I would explain some of the benefits with mindfulness and meditation. Meditation is a very experiential practice so it's a bit difficult to explain it in words for a beginner and how it evolves. It is also a process that is very individual depending on what kind of person we are, our background etc. That being said, what many people notice after having practiced regularly for a period of time is a deeper connection to life itself. You become more present and that in and out of itself creates an increased level of satisfaction that is hard to explain in words. And depending on who you are and what you are facing in life different people will experience different benefits of the practice. Some of these include: easier to fall asleep, dealing with stress in a wiser way, more focus etc.
And the recommendation is to go slow. Make it easy. Make it inviting. Make it gradual. Start with 5 min meditation per day and see what effect it has. Then add more time gradually.
Q: Where is the best place in your home to practice meditation?
A: A place where you feel you will not be interrupted and feels safe to you so that you can relax, let go and enter your inner world. That could be in your bed, in a cozy corner on the floor or somewhere else. One way of inviting yourself is to create a really nice place for your practice for example with a nice cushion, cozy blanket, some flowers and other items that you appreciate. One should not underestimate the power of an inviting space.
Q: How can we practice mindfulness during a stressful working day?
A: On the one hand, it is valuable to practice when we are not working, to build up an energy reserve and focus through that practice. But there are also some specific things one can do in the middle of a stressful and challenging work day.
One thing is to simply stop and take a few deep breaths. Really zoom in on the entire inhalation and on the entire exhalation.
Another thing one can do is to stop for a while with what you are doing and feel your feet. Feel the contact between the feet and the ground. Feel that you are here. That you stand firmly on the earth, that you can feel the earth beneath you that holds you all the time.
One can also try to treat oneself with kindness and compassion during stressful times. You can start by acknowledging what you feel. Letting yourself feel it. You could also remind yourself that you are not alone in feeling that way. In that same moment so many others are feeling the same way. That is not to diminish your own experience, absolutely not, but to feel a sense of community in it. You're not alone!! And finally you could try saying a few kind words to yourself such as "Oh I really feel with you right now, I understand that it's tough and I'm here for you” or "I really care about you, I understand that you are struggling right now ”. The vast majority of us are not used to giving ourselves such a form of compassion so it might feel a bit strange at first. Give it some time. You don’t have to do all these steps either, maybe one of them is what is needed in a certain situation?
Q: What tips can you recommend for a peaceful nights sleep?
A: Stop watching any social media a couple of hours before going to bed to prepare your mind for the night. Wind down.
Meditate for a while just prior to bed to settle your mind. If you have difficulty falling asleep you can try one of the body scans for sleep.
If you wake up in the middle of the night, try doing a body scan while lying in bed.
Q: Tell us about some of the teachers you work with on The Mindfulness App?
A: We work with more than 60 different teachers around the world, specializing in certain areas such as stress, sleep, compassion, focus, emotions etc. We develop our own content and get customized content from our teachers, it’s a constant dialogue in order to be able to serve our users with the best content for their mindfulness journey. As meditation is an intimate practice we also offer guided meditations in 12 different languages.
For more tips on Practicing mindfulness and self care check out these blogs:
