Mindfulness and Being Present

When we talk about mindfulness and how important it is for health and such, what do we mean?

As physiotherapists, we try to teach our clients new movements to improve their ways of life. But many people aren't used to exercise, so we have to spend time guiding our clients to learn how to feel the motions for themselves.

Learning your own body's signals for hunger or thirst are very similar-it just takes time and practice.

At it's core, mindful practice means staying in the present, acknowledging your sensations and emotions without judgement or dwelling on them.

Mindfulness in practice can begin with meditation. Think of it as an elven trance (don't worry, you don't need to do it for four hours).

Assume a comfortable position in a place that has minimal distraction.

With your eyes closed, start by noticing your senses: smells, where you're holding tension, the feeling and sound of your breath. Acknowledge thoughts and feelings as they come, then let them go. Levitate (maybe).

Once you notice your mind start to wander, bring it back to the present.

As you continue to practice mindfulness, you can begin to apply it to your relationship with food and your physical activities.

With the discussion about mindfulness in health, a good place to start is noticing how you feel before, during, and after you eat or exercise.

Here are a few ways you can apply mindfulness to food!

There are many ways people approach food. Food shouldn't be a way to cope with emotions , but if that is where you are, that's okay.

We want to empower you to play an active role in your health, however that may look from person to person.

If you haven't eaten yet, pay attention to how hungry you're feeling and how that hunger impacts your day. Perhaps you don't feel "hunger", but rather you notice you're irritable or sluggish.

Are you letting yourself get too hungry before you decide you need to eat? Sometimes you might mistake your hunger for thirst or visa versa.

For me, I noticed I snack out of boredom very often. I noticed I snack less since I've been busier, but every so often I still do and that's okay. I don't beat myself up over it.

Taking an active part in setting up and ritualizing your meals will help with your mindfulness practice as well as aid you in appreciating the food.

While you're eating, take the time to notice the flavors and textures of the food. Many cultures ritualize meals to bring awareness to the present meal; religious folks say grace, Japanese folks say "Itadakimasu" (いただきます), and cooking with the entire family is common in many different cultures.

Take the time to enjoy your food. Take small portions to start and allow yourself to get more if you need to. Chew your food in between each bite and notice how your stomach feels as you get full. This will give you opportunities to tune in with yourself as you're eating.

After you've eaten, do you feel satisfied?
Do you feel bloated of over stuffed?

This could be because you were distracted while you ate or you're celebrating a great affair!

Don't be afraid to try new foods, just pay attention to how you feel after! Bodies are built differently and people respond differently to different foods.

With all of this said, it is completely OKAY to occasionally eat for reasons other than hunger as we are human, and like I said before, there is not need to put yourself in a rigid "diet box". "Junk food" is not your enemy.

While whole foods tend to be more nutritious and filling, processed foods aren't necessarily "bad" in small amounts. Be aware of black and white thinking-moderation is your friend!

This idea of before, during, and after is important for exercise too!

If you haven't been active for a long time or if you have never been active before in your life, you might feel lethargic or wake up after sleeping and still not feel rested.

While you're exercising, pay attention to your surroundings and the sensations your body feels. Visualization helps a lot here!

Imagine looking at yourself as your character avatar. Feel your lungs expanding, your muscles tightening and relaxing, your heart beating.

One way to gauge exercise intensity while attending to your breathing is with the talk test. Moderate exercise means you'd be able to carry on a conversation but you wouldn't be able to sing during the session. Intense would mean you wouldn't be able to get a few words out before you need to breathe!

After your physical activity, mild soreness is expected after a day or two! But nothing sharp or painful.

Remember, rest is just as important as exercise, and just because you don't feel sore after a work out does not mean you didn't do enough!

Notice how your mood is after your training session, how your sleep and appetite are.

Generally, moderate exercise is recommended 3-4 days out of the week; if you can't, doing a little bit is better than doing nothing. Just make sure you work with your doctor or physical therapist so you’re cleared for exercise, and start small!

Bottom line here is, have more awareness and compassion for yourself with less judgement.

Take the time to get to know yourself and body better.

With the New Year fast approaching, we hope that this series will be helpful in your continuing quest for your healthy habits.

We tried to keep it very simple and broad so that we don't get lost in the fog.

If you're looking for specifics that are tailored to you, adventurer, we can help with that too! We don't have all the answers but hopefully we can help you start asking the right questions.

Fortify your health and your happiness! Cheers!

From us at FortifySTR,
Dr. Norman Quach, PT, DPT