Active Mindfulness

“Paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally.”

Jon Kabat-zinn

Recently, I decided to try something different with my own mindfulness practice. An approach called active mindfulness draws movement into mindfulness, offering a mindful experience to those of us who may struggle with sitting still. New to this approach, I set down my laptop, wiggled into my leggings, and gave it a go.

Before I go too far, let’s dive into the term, “mindfulness.” The modern understanding of mindfulness is described by Jon Kabat-Zinn as “paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally” (Chiesa & Malinowski, 2011). This curious attention to the present can be implemented in a variety of ways, including meditation, body scanning, listening to music, among others.

Ultimately, I found it helpful to adapt my mindfulness practice to what already worked for me. A podcast I recently listened to suggested that a key to success with new habits is to create a supportive environment for engagement (Kaufman, 2020) . Since I had a pretty good idea that perfect stillness was not my thing, I decided to use a more active approach in the form of mindful yoga. I found that incorporating movement helped to keep my mind and body engaged. I could focus on my breathing and align my movements with my breath, giving my mind something to do other than wander. Furthermore, the movements demanded a mixture of strength and relaxation that made my body feel more balanced than my prior approach to exercise. The resulting physical and mental refreshment that I felt made me wonder how mindful yoga compares to traditional workout programs.

It turns out that research supports the findings of my own experience with mindful yoga. In a study done by J. Kwok, et al. (2019), participants with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) were separated into two categories. One group completed an 8-week program in mindful yoga, while the other group engaged in stretching and resistance training exercise (SRTE). The findings showed that both programs showed similar results in physical improvement. Furthermore, the mindful yoga group displayed significant improvements in anxiety and depression that was not experienced by the SRTE group. I would, however, like to point out that this study was conducted with older PD patients. Because of this, a physical fitness disparity between interventions may become more apparent in younger, physically fit individuals lifting more weight as part of a SRTE program. However, the results suggest that incorporating mindful yoga into a fitness routine would be beneficial for overall health.

Have you been thinking of incorporating mindfulness more into your daily routine? A resource that I found helpful was Cat Meffan’s YouTube channel, which contains a plethora of yoga and meditation videos to get you started. Try it out and see if it’s helpful to use a little movement to find that stillness!

References:

Chiesa, A., & Malinowski, P. (2011). Mindfulness‐based approaches: Are they all the same?. Journal of clinical psychology, 67(4), 404-424.

Kaufman, S.B. (Host). (2020, May 20). Wendy Wood on how to make positive changes that stick (No. 196)[Audio podcast episode]. In The psychology podcast. https://scottbarrykaufman.com/podcast/wendy-wood-on-how-to-make-positive-changes-that-stick.

Kwok JYY, Kwan JCY, Auyeung M, et al. Effects of Mindfulness Yoga vs Stretching and Resistance Training Exercises on Anxiety and Depression for People With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2019;76(7):755–763. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.0534

Practicing Gratitude

How might the world be if we fostered a grateful generation?

(Lomas, et al., 2014)

This week, I dove headfirst into gratitude. Honestly, it started with a belly flop. In the midst of juggling coursework, after-school schedules for three kids, and my part-time job, it was one more ball to add to a hailstorm coming down on me. However, it ended up being my saving grace during my lowest point of the week.

My practice began with a gratitude journal. The first few nights consisted of a few hastily scribbled notes on my phone before tossing it aside. Research suggests listing three things, as well as a “why?” for each item (Gohar, 2021). Over time I noticed that my practice began to grow. I dusted off an old notebook that was hiding under my bed and began elaborating on my thoughts. Then, I told my kids what I was doing. Soon they were adding items to the notebook, and our gratitude practice quickly gained reciprocal momentum.

A snippet from our family journal

On Thursday morning, it was a week into my practice. I was exhausted after a long day of school and work the day before, and I was facing another long day ahead. Nearly at my breaking point, I decided to open the journal and remind myself of all the things I had written down. There, at the top of the page, I noticed my 15 year old daughter had written in it for the first time. And I was at the top of her list.

Notes from my daughter (shared with permission)

It turns out the personal and relational benefits I experienced through this practice are consistent with research. Lomas et al. found that gratitude promotes pro-social characteristics that benefits relationships, increases general well-being, and even provides physical benefits like better sleep (2014). Furthermore, studies demonstrate that writing about gratitude actually changes the brain. After a few weeks of writing about gratitude, brain scans show an increased neural reward responses toward giving (Zwillich, 2018). This supports the powerful reciprocation that I experienced in my relationships. Involving the children strengthened our relationship, in addition to training my mind to be more grateful.

Another gratitude practice that I undertook was to write a letter of gratitude. This letter was delivered and read aloud to a person I held very dear but had never properly thanked. An emotional experience on both sides, my gratitude letter was welcomed with returned gratefulness, creating yet another reciprocal experience. Research demonstrates that writing and delivering a letter of gratitude provides a boost to to well-being that is more pronounced initially than the “Three Good Things” exercise, although tapering off as time goes on (Lomas et al.). While powerful, utilizing this exercise in my own life did not create the same habitual thinking as the “Three Good Things” that would promote long-term change.

In the end, I saw the difference that just a week of gratitude practice could make in my close relationships. Moving forward, writing down things that I’m grateful for on a daily basis would improve these benefits, as well as regularly expressing these things to others.

Thinking of starting your own gratitude practice? Check out Greater Good in Action for some great resources! And maybe take a quick listen to one of my kid’s favorite songs on gratitude below.

Grateful by Brotha James, a Michigan music artist known for inspirational kids music and programs (used with permission)

References:

Gohar, D. (2021, October 7). Cultivating gratitude for resilience [online lecture].

Lomas, T., Froh, J. J., Emmons, R. A., Mishra, A., & Bono, G. (2014). Gratitude interventions. The Wiley Blackwell handbook of positive psychological interventions, 1.

Zwillich, T. (Host). (2018, March 12). How gratitude benefits your brain (No. 7) [Audio podcast episode]. In The science of happiness. Greater Good Magazine. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/gratitude_benefits_your_brain

Strength Training for Adversity

The life of a graduate student is ripe with opportunities to practice resilience (Look at that optimism!). High stress levels and exhaustion from heavy workloads can be overwhelming, and I was in desperate need of a mental boost. So, I embarked on another resilience experiment: a week of using my strengths. Research shows that using our strengths can positively impact many areas of our life, including happiness, relationships, and stress levels (Gohar, 2021). I selected two of my own strengths for a week of inner strength training.

First, I decided to work on my appreciation of beauty. This activity offered some peace when I felt like a bird trying to fly on the Fourth of July. I was determined to resurrect my neglected habit of walking every morning. I threw on my coat, leashed my crazy dog, and entered a world that took me out of my own. The crisp autumn leaves in the chill November air were frosted jewels just waiting to be discovered. Research shows that cultivating a sense of awe nourishes a smaller sense of self and connection to the larger picture (Piff, et al., 2015). Appreciation of beauty is considered a transcendent strength: it allows you to rise above the individual realm and its struggles. I noticed that each step took me a little further from the incessant din of mental chatter in my own mind.

Chilly morning walks

Another strength that I worked on was zest. Zest can be defined as “approaching life with excitement and energy” (Peterson and Seligman, 2004). This was a strength that I felt disconnected from lately, probably due to the previously referenced fatigue. Luckily, I had the perfect arena for enacting zest: motherhood. Every day, I set aside time to dive into life with my kids. The activities were directed by my children; my job was just to be present—to be fully present. Surprisingly, it actually increased my energy—an effect supported by research (Gohar, 2021). I felt more alive, and I remembered what I loved most about living…

One day, I threw on my coat to take the dog on a walk with my son and my partner. Putting on my best zest face, I challenged them to a race. We took off to try to beat the dog, an impossible task that left us laughing hysterically. I turned back to my partner, who had been left in the dust. “That,” he said emphatically, “is the meaning of life.” All I had to do was run across the street to reconnect with what made my life worth living—embracing life with those I love deeply. Ultimately, finding meaning is an essential element to well-being (Seligman, 2012). I gained clarity on what meant the most to me, and I felt more whole and happy as a result.

Racing trains

In the end, I realized I became disconnected from my core strengths during times of stress. I also realized how healing it felt to engage with them again. It made me think “Oh, right. This is who I am.” They hadn’t disappeared; they were just waiting for me to dust them off a bit. Using our strengths can help us reconnect with our true selves (Gohar). Moving forward, I hope to make it a daily habit to notice strengths that I am enacting, as well as structure activities that purposefully engage them.

What are your strengths? Take the strength quiz to identify your top strengths. Then, check out this link to get some ideas for engaging these strengths in your own life. With a little strength training, we can increase our ability to overcome adversity.

References:

Gohar, D. (2021, October 26). Character strengths for resilience [online lecture].

Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and classification (Vol. 1). Oxford University Press.

Piff, P. K., Dietze, P., Feinberg, M., Stancato, D. M., & Keltner, D. (2015). Awe, the small self, and prosocial behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 108(6), 883–899. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspi0000018

Seligman, M. E. (2012). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being. Simon and Schuster.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.