Mindfulness Meditation #3 Spacious Mind
Physical and mental health is important to the team behind Jervis Bay Weekend. Welcome to our series of mindfulness meditations – simple, proven techniques we know are beneficial to wellbeing. Keep an eye out over the coming weeks as we publish more practices.
If you are already familiar with the basics – what mindfulness is and its wide-ranging benefits – feel free to scroll on down to Meditation #3 Spacious Mind.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a translation of a word that simply means awareness. It is being aware, in the moment, of what we are doing while we are doing it. It’s knowing what’s going on inside our mind and body, and what’s going on in any given situation.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindful awareness is cultivated through proven practices of seated, walking, standing, and moving meditation such as those described in this series.
Mindfulness meditation is an effective way of getting to know our minds better – the competing inner voices, the way we typically see ourselves and others, our habitual responses to situations.
Three sound reasons to meditate
1. Calm mind and body
Meditation is a proven way to calm the mind and allow the chatter and commentary of our inner voices to quieten, reducing stress particularly when our self talk is judgemental and critical.
The benefits of mindfulness meditation to our physical and mental well-being are well documented and include: reducing blood pressure; increasing resilience; managing anxiety and stress.
2. Connect better with others
Ever find yourself staring blankly at someone – even someone you love and care about – realising your mind’s wandered and you’ve lost track of what they are saying? Mindfulness helps you give them the precious gift and respect of your full attention.
3. Improve focus
Meditation hones our ability to pay focused attention to where we are and what is actually happening. When our mind keeps wandering off we can quickly lose awareness of the present moment, and easily become lost in obsessive thoughts about something that just happened or fretting about the future, which can cause anxiety.
Meditation #3 Spacious Mind
Illustration © Beppe Giacobbe
This meditation practice assists the mind to connect to its true spaciousness and to meet the minds of others with an open, accepting, accommodating attitude. It is particularly helpful in preparing your mind for conversations or situations that may be fraught.
Instructions
- Begin by being seated comfortably in a chair with feet flat on the ground, your back straight but not rigid.
- Allow your hands to rest either in your lap or on your thighs, whatever is most comfortable. Work with eyes closed.
- Take three deep breaths: in through the nose, out through the mouth. Then return to your natural breathing pattern.
- Stay focused on the breath.
- At the end of the out-breath, just before the next in-breath, notice the tiny pause. This is the space of mind before conditioned mind: mind before male/female; us/them; good/bad; right/wrong.
- In this tiny pause is the great spaciousness where mind is just mind – mind without bias, opinion, set perspectives – where all comfortably coexists.
- As you breathe, direct your full awareness into this space between each out-breath and in-breath.
- Allow your mind to open into this space.
- Allow this space to open into your mind.
Duration
- Aim for minimum 5 mins 3 times per week.
- Like any other skill, mindfulness is developed through regular and sustained practice.
