On Mindfulness & Meditation

Written by Imani Rouse

When I started my journey a few years ago to define authentic living, I read about and listened to all the various things a pop-culture article and YouTube video could tell me: “Here’s 10 Steps to Building the Perfect Schedule!”, “Why a Spa Day Can Help Reduce Your Stress”, “5 Exercises to Improve Your Body & Mind!”… But, to my surprise, none of those things really gave me the answers I was looking for, really. I mean, having structure and taking care of your body is essential to everyday living–don’t get me wrong. But the questions I was seeking to answer came from within. When I finally realized this, I decided to give mindfulness and meditation a try.

If you’re anything like me, I thought meditation was something almost otherworldly and not very practical for me to use. I did not have time in my day to try to channel my inner Avatar Aang…

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But what I have come to realize is that mindfulness and meditation are two separate tools of introspection that pair well together and you may be surprised how you may already use them in your daily life! According to the Mindful Staff in their 2020 article, “The Science of Mindfulness”, mindfulness is defined as “...the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us”; they also define meditation as “exploring, not erasing, the present moment as it is. When we meditate, we venture into the workings of our minds: our sensations (air moving in and out of the body or a noise wafting into the room), our emotions (love this, hate that, crave this, loathe that) and thoughts (did I remember to send that email?)”. Lastly, mindfulness meditation is “...to suspend judgment of the workings of the mind and unleash our natural curiosity about what is happening in the moment, allowing ourselves to be with each moment with warmth and kindness, to ourselves and to others”.

So, now, you might be saying: “Okay, so I understand how they work together. But how does this help answer those internal questions?”

I’m glad you asked!

If you are already aware of the internal questions you have then congratulations! You have started the mindfulness journey already! Mindfulness meditation is simply allowing yourself to recognize what the internal is trying to say to you. For example, you may be experiencing lower back pain every day after work. You might dismiss it by claiming it has just been a long day, but then you realize you feel this way all the time, and it gets worse when bills come due later in the month. What might happen if you take time to go within and without judgment of your fleeting thoughts and feelings? What if you realize you do not even like the work you are doing, and it stresses you out because you are not salary and your pay differs depending on how many customers come through the door? What if you also realize that when you get stressed, you realize it starts in your lower back? That example is just one of many ways mindfulness meditation can aid you in authentic living!

What are some benefits to mindfulness meditation?

The Mayo Clinic created a short informational article in September 2020 highlighting some of the benefits of mindful meditation including it being an aid to better sleep, attention span, controlling diabetes and high blood pressure, and reducing symptoms of job burnout, stress, depression, anxiety, and more. If these are some of the issues you are experiencing, you may find it worthwhile to explore mindfulness meditation. Of course, make sure to involve your healthcare providers in the process as you may need additional medical or mental health care depending upon the severity of your issues.

What are some resources for mindfulness meditation?

• If you are residing in the DFW metropolitan area (and especially if you are BIPOC womxn), consider working with Kim McClam Fisher through Brown Girls Meditate!

• You can find a journal based on mindfulness meditation here.

• You can also utilize her free content Insight Timer or on YouTube.

In addition, consider working with us here at Harbinger of Hope as we strive to involve the tenets of mindfulness meditation in our work here as therapists! You can book a phone intake with us here!