The philosophy and praxis of Mindfulness is rigorously topical, and has generated great interest both in scientific circles and on the street
Although Mindfulness seems like the new fleeting fad in the field of well-being and meditation, we are not facing a recently created phenomenon: its origins date back to the end of the 7th century BC, a historical moment closely linked to the emergence of Buddhism.
The benefits of Mindfulness
The fundamental objective of Mindfulness is aimed at provide us with a method to learn to manage emotions, reactions, attitudes and thoughts to be able to face the situations that life presents to us, through the practice and improvement of full consciousness.
Thus, we may be able to discover that through the development of full attention in the present moment we develop certain positive attitudes in relation to our mental state and emotions, managing to control them from freedom, self-knowledge and acceptance
Conscious attention as a key to self-knowledge
Mindfulness pursues learning, connecting with our inner self, managing our internal events and reacting in a more conscious and effective way to everyday events. The philosophy of conscious attention proposes that on this path we are able, progressively, to find the essence of who we are.
Ultimately, we must be aware that what causes us discomfort or anxiety are not the events , but how we link these emotions. The Compassion and the Self-pity They are practices that help us relate to facts in a way non-judgmental and open to suffering , both to one’s own and to others. In Mindfulness, compassion is key, as it helps us minimize the impact of the negative things that happen to us. It is not about erasing the negative emotions that certain events can cause us, but rather about reducing their intensity
Over the course of recent centuries, Mindfulness techniques have been applied to support psychotherapies used to solve different mental health problems, such as stress, anxiety, sleep disorders or pain tolerance, among others. .
In this article we propose to develop eight benefits for your mental and physical health What Mindfulness can give you.
1. Helps control stress and anxiety
As we commented in the article “The 6 psychological benefits of Yoga“, the lifestyle of Western societies can lead many people to suffer from stress, causing psychological health problems such as depression, anxiety, etc. Like yoga, meditation and Mindfulness reduce cortisol levels a hormone that is released in response to stress.
Cortisol is necessary for the body as it regulates and mobilizes energy in stressful situations, but if we have too much or it increases in situations where we do not need it, it produces many side effects. The practice of Mindfulness gives its practitioners a state of calm and serenity , which undoubtedly affects our physical and emotional health. In this way, cortisol levels decrease, also causing blood pressure to decrease.
2. End insomnia problems
A study from the University of Utah found that Mindfulness training can not only help us reduce stress and control anxiety, but it can help us sleep better at night. According to Holly Roy, the author of this study, “people who practice mindfulness daily show better control over emotions and behaviors during the day. On the other hand, these people show a low level of cortical activation at night, which helps them sleep better.”
3. Protects the brain
American researchers from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital demonstrated that meditation, a technique that is part of Mindfulness training, increases the size of Telomeres, structures located at the ends of chromosomes and that are directly related to aging and the development of certain pathologies associated with old age.
Furthermore, research from the University of Oregon concludes that meditation and Mindfulness can modify the neural structure of the brain. The habitual practice of Mindfulness is associated with an increase in axonal density and an increase in myelin in the axons of the anterior cingulate cortex.
4. Increases the ability to concentrate
Mindfulness is a practice that focuses on training awareness and full attention, in order to be able to voluntarily direct these mental processes. A study by Walsh and Shapiro showed that Mindfulness is effective in increasing our ability to concentrate.
This fact has led experts to recommend this practice as a complementary therapy in disorders related to attention deficit. Furthermore, a study by Moore and Malinowski in 2009 concluded that The practice of Mindfulness correlated positively with cognitive flexibility and attentional functioning
5. Develop emotional intelligence
Mindfulness helps us get to know ourselves, to investigate within ourselves and show ourselves as we are. With its practice, Self-awareness and Self-knowledge are improved and makes us evolve internally
Furthermore, through compassion towards ourselves, things do not affect us as much. A study by Ortner, a researcher at the University of Toronto, showed that people who include Mindfulness in their lives have more emotional control than people who do not practice it
6. Improves interpersonal relationships
A study by Wachs and Cordova in 2007 suggests that a person’s ability to practice Mindfulness can predict your relationship satisfaction that is, the ability to respond appropriately to relationship stress and the ability to communicate your emotions to the other person.
On the other hand, the Mindfulness philosophy, based on compassion and acceptance, improves interpersonal relationships according to Barnes, a researcher at the University of Rochester.
7. Promotes creativity
Meditation helps calm the mind, and a calm mind has more space to generate new ideas. Researchers at the Brain and Cognition Institute at Leiden University in the Netherlands They found an increase in creativity in those habitual Mindfulness practitioners.
8. Improves working memory
The best of the work memory seems to be another of the benefits of practicing Mindfulness. A study by Jha in 2010 documented the benefits of Mindfulness and meditation on a group of military personnel after their participation in a Mindfulness training program that lasted a total of eight weeks.
The data from this group was compared with the data from another group of military personnel who had not participated in the program. The results showed that the group that had participated in the Mindfulness training program improved their working memory compared to the other group.