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Mindfulness in Real Life
In this video I’m going to teach you about mindful breathing, and I’m going to film this in my kitchen because, let's be honest, no one’s watching KZread from a Buddhist temple where everything is peaceful and quiet all the time. Mindfulness works because you can do it in stressful environments.
Mindful breathing is an essential skill that, when learned, can be super helpful at managing anxiety, depression, stress, overthinking, and bodily tension. It can help you get centered and grounded in your body and can also connect you to your ability to be intentional instead of reactive.
You can learn this skill in two minutes - so let's go.
Start by settling into a comfortable position, and close your eyes if you’d like to.
Now, just notice that you are breathing. Notice what it feels like to breathe.
Notice what you feel, expand your awareness. What can you see? Hear? Smell?
Don’t try to change how you breathe but rather to simply bring attention to what it feels like.
Pay attention to the in breath and how that feels. Pay attention to the out breath and how that feels.
During this activity, it's normal for your mind to wander off over and over. When you notice that has happened, just gently bring your attention back to the breath. There are going to be distractions. As you address them, remember that you can bring yourself back to awareness by noticing your breathing.
Be curious - what does it feel like to breathe?
Mindfulness is all about letting your senses, what you’re feeling in your body, bring you to the present moment, helping you be aware of this moment and where you are: you are here.
Mindful breathing can be part of a meditation practice, or you can just bring awareness to your breath throughout the day, taking just a moment here and there to get connected.
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Therapy in a Nutshell, LLC, and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health.
About Me:
I’m Emma McAdam. I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and I have worked in various settings of change and growth since 2004. My experience includes juvenile corrections, adventure therapy programs, wilderness therapy programs, an eating disorder treatment center, a residential treatment center, and I currently work in an outpatient therapy clinic.
In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love www.churchofjesuschrist.org/c...
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
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