It’s well documented that breathing, mindfulness, and meditation help to support our mental health, and wellbeing. I know from practicing these therapies, now for more than a decade that it’s true.
But, I also know that concentrating can be challenging to do, especially when there is so much on our collective minds. Actually, in order to relax the mind sufficiently, one has to learn to concentrate in order to achieve this! So, I believe this is the reason that many people get put off in trying to incorporate these built-in invaluable skills into their lives.
It can be extremely hard to stop the mind from wandering!
In my personal life, I can have the concentration ability of a gnat! I’m not naturally great at self-care, or self-love. So I’ve developed some easy ways of overcoming this problem that I’d like to share with you, and the simplest method is to remember the word: Up.
Especially for those of you who are particularly addled at the moment, I’d suggest trying this following exercise when you’re in bed feeling restless, whilst trying to relax sufficiently in order to get to sleep. First, lay straight and flat on your back with the covers over you:
- Place one hand over your heart
- Place the other hand over your stomach
- Do not move them, or replace them if you need to scratch your arm, for instance
- Close your eyes, and notice the colour you “see” behind your eyes closed
Now, as you breathe, you’ll feel your stomach rise, or go up each time you inhale or exhale a breath, and midst noticing the colour behind your closed eyes, all you have to think about is the word up. If need be, speak the word “up”, by way of assisting concentration.
While you’re doing this, your mind will wander, and why you may need to chant the word “up”, in order to hold onto your concentration. Even if you get distracted, you can harness your attention by simply carrying on chanting the word up.
Whilst you’re doing this, then your breathing will regulate, slowing down naturally, without the need to worry about other techniques, and your body will prepare itself for slumber.
When you practice my “Up” method, and you use chanting to assist you, then you are unwittingly practicing healthy breathing, mindfulness, and meditation. If you need another anchor of support, then you can think of a colour that you’d like to see behind your shut lids. It can be any colour and, if for example, it’s blue, then chant the words blue and up. Think of using these two words, chanting them, in much the same way as a novice swimmer uses armbands.
I hope this has been helpful, and as always I welcome all feedback.