You may have heard of ‘MINDFULNESS.’ It’s a form of meditation which seems to be catching on among cool people who seem to catch on to things much earlier than I do. It’s actually a centuries-old Buddhist practice which involves sitting still for 10-15 minutes each day and focusing on the present; not that cringe worthy flashback of last Friday night when you drunkenly tried to get off with Jade from accounts, not that report you’ve got to hand in to Nigel on Wednesday, but the present. The here. The now.
Such is its popularity, there are mindfulness groups, courses and lectures springing up all over the country – you can find lists on the websites, Bemindful.co.uk and Meetup.com – and the practice is even recognised by the NHS due to its benefits for stress, anxiety and depression, of which I have a fair amount of experience.
Criticism
But the practice is not without its critics. Writing for The Spectator last year, Melanie McDonagh described mindfulness as “a smug middle class trend” and in The Guardian, Suzanne Moore censured its adherents for turning “eastern mysticism…into a pastime.”
There’s also a feeling that it’s all a bit…well…wishy washy. To the unversed, it seems pretentious – and rather lofty – to suddenly sit down and try and be at one with the world.
Shaun Glossop, a 52-year-old practitioner of meditation who runs the Nottingham Mindfulness Group – an informal social group who meet twice a week to socialise and relax together – admits that a lot of people think it’s flaky.
“They tend to hold it at arm’s length because they think it’s a bit odd,” he says. “Some people feel like if they get involved, they’ll have to buy into a whole belief system. But it doesn’t have to be like that. No one’s asking you to believe anything. It’s just a set of techniques designed to help you relax.”
My experience
To get to grips with it all, I’ve been giving mindfulness a go and, after two weeks, there are two things I can say about it:
The first is that it’s hard to get the hang of. The idea is to notice, without judgement, the thoughts, feelings and sensations you experience in the present moment. But sitting still and just watching your thoughts float by is a bit like not scratching an itch or not swatting a fly. It takes an immense amount of effort and feels unnatural at first.
But…with a bit of practice, mindfulness can yield some genuine results. I may be imagining things but I’ve definitely felt more in control of my emotions over the last few weeks. I’ve been able to take a step back from things which would usually stress me out or piss me off and I’ve begun to appreciate the little things in life, even if it’s just a cup of tea or a meal.
Last Thursday, I went along to Shaun’s group and met a guy there who said he’s noticed the same benefits.
“I feel calmer and more positive now,” said 34-year-old Steve Heath from Long Eaton, who in the past has suffered from anxiety and depression. “If someone cut me up on an island while I was driving, I used to flip out and – although it does still makes me angry – I don’t react in the same way now. I’ve realised I can choose how to react and just having that space to think…it’s subtle but really powerful.”
It makes sense that focusing on something other than your thoughts might bring you a greater sense of stillness.
A professional view
Lydia Weston 57, is a fully-qualified ‘person-centred’ therapist from Nottingham and a mindfulness tutor for people recovering from severe bouts of anxiety and depression. She likens the practice to recharging your mobile phone.
“A phone can’t keep running forever,” she said. “You need to let it cool down, plug it in and re-charge it – that’s what mindfulness is.”
But how much of a difference can it make to peoples’ lives and what are its applications beyond relaxation?
“It can be really transformative. I’ve been blown away by the difference it’s made to my students. A lot of them have said it’s helped to make them feel like themselves. The course I run is six weeks long but I find they always want to carry on at the end.”
Conclusions
Some may scoff at or criticise mindfulness but it’s clear that its practice can have powerful benefits for people with anxiety and depression and, although I’m not sold on some of the technique’s deeper aspects – in one video, a Buddhist monk called Thich Nhat Hanh spoke about loving and connecting with a flower – I’m more than happy to keep practicing.
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