What's the deal with mindfulness?

Question: “I keep hearing about mindfulness, but what is it really? It feels hokey or weird and I don't trust it.”

Honestly, the real talk is that therapist have not helped the public understand what mindfulness really is. A few years back I realized that if I just say "nervous system regulation" instead of mindfulness, most clients get on board.

There have been books and books written about mindfulness. Arguably, there is nothing more currently researched in the helping sciences. In short, it has taken over. But few people really understand what it is and even fewer practice at regularly.

So let's practice right now. Thich Nhat Hanh, the peace activist and mindfulness trainer, revolutionized the way we think about Buddhist mindfulness with the simple phrases:

"Breathing in, I know that I am breathing in. Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.”

Now let's be real. If this is the first time you've read this, it will make no sense to you. But if you actually breathe in right now as you're reading this and say that mantra and then you breathe out right now as you're reading this – yes I mean literally right now – you will recognize likely a couple of benefits. It may take a few times to get there, but recognize the difference. If you want to really level up the impact, do diaphragmatic breathing as you do this.

So let's do it right now. Breathe in and say "breathing in I know that I am breathing in." Now breathe out and say "breathing out. I know that I am breathing out."

Rinse and repeat.

Notice if your stress level went down. If it didn't, you might do it a few more times. Actually if it did, you still might do it a few more times lol. If it feels like magic, it often does – but it is not. It has plenty of physiological research, backing it up. In fact, we can look at how the brains of monks have more folds, or in other words, they are bigger, because of the focused attention they do in their mindfulness practice.

So let's go back to the breathing. This is the simple work of mindfulness and this is what a well trained and present therapist can do for you.

Let's get you in! See you on the other side.