Is it possible to become healthier and feel better just by thinking?
Sujata Bhatia, M.D., Ph.D., P.E., a physician, licensed chemical engineer, and professor at the University of Delaware, thinks so. “Mindfulness is a state of increased awareness of your thoughts, feelings, surroundings, and experiences on a moment-to-moment basis,” she says. “There is evidence that mindfulness can reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and pain. [It] can also lower blood pressure and improve sleep quality.”
Bhatia’s findings are supported by studies from the National Institutes of Health. Zev Schuman-Olivier, M.D., of Harvard University, found that, “For many chronic illnesses, mindfulness meditation seems to improve quality of life and reduce mental health symptoms.”
But what is mindfulness, and how is it practiced?
James Walsh, a pastoral counselor in private practice in Newark as well as a faculty member in the MS Clinical Mental Health Counseling program at Wilmington University, explains that, “Generally, the practice of mindfulness meditation would be considered a contemplative practice. But context matters; ‘contemplative’ implies a religious and/or spiritual domain, and mindfulness meditation certainly abides as an important element there. But it is largely taught in a secular context in Western countries. It remains primarily a religious practice in the East.”
Walsh also notes that in contemplation, “One focuses attention on the present moment without judging the experiencing of phenomena as good or bad, right or wrong.” This “nonjudgmental acceptance of mindfulness,” he explains, “is best understood as facing the emergence of experiencing, without prejudice and conditioned behaviors altering the perception of phenomena. That is, truly seeing what is happening, rather than seeing through any mental filter.”
Bhatia points out that there is no standard setting or solitary method for practicing mindfulness: “One misconception about mindfulness practice is that it necessarily involves yoga or meditation. These are both useful activities, but there are a variety of activities that can promote mindfulness, such as mindful eating, mindful walking, and even mindful music listening. In my own life, I often listen to live or recorded music to achieve [that] state.”
Although one can practice without instruction, it can be easier for some with a leader. One local source is the Delaware Center for Mindfulness in Wilmington, which offers workshops and an eight-week introductory course that includes exploring the definitions of mindfulness, how to implement mindfulness into a daily routine, how to benefit from mindfulness, exercises of mindfulness practice, breathing exercises, meditation, and body movements.
Another resource is the Delaware Valley Zen Center in Newark, which offers weekly practice, including chanting, sitting meditation, and walking meditation. Instruction is available on the first Tuesday of the month. Zen meditation retreats are scheduled quarterly by the center.
Both Bhatia and Walsh advocate for integrating mindfulness practice into everyday life.
“When I hike in the woods, it’s meditation,” Walsh says. “When I am working in the yard, it is meditation. When I cook a meal, dry the dishes, take a bath, play with a grandchild…it’s all a chance to practice being mindful.”
In fact, mindfulness might have benefits for the whole household. “I think it’s made me a better person—[and] certainly a lot easier to live with!” Walsh adds.
Related: Bookmark This Guide to 30-Minute Self-Care Services in Delaware
