Mindfulness Exercise Favorites

Mindfulness Exercise Favorites

Episode 13

Helen Sneed: Welcome to Mental Health Hope and Recovery. I'm Helen Sneed.

Valerie Milburn: And I'm Valerie Milburn.

Helen Sneed: We both have fought and overcome severe chronic mental illnesses. Our podcast offers a unique approach to mental health conditions. We use practical skills and inspirational stories of recovery. Our knowledge is up close and personal.

Valerie Milburn: Helen and I are your peers. We're not doctors, therapists or social workers. We're not professionals. But we are experts. We are experts in our own lived experience with multiple mental health diagnoses and symptoms. Please join us on our journey.

Helen Sneed: We live in recovery, so can you.

Valerie Milburn: This podcast does not provide medical advice. The information presented is not intended to be a substitute or relied upon as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The podcast is for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any health related questions you may have.

Helen Sneed: Episode 132021 Mindfulness exercise favorites as you may know, we wrap up each episode with a mindfulness exercise led by Valerie. These exercises have been one of the most popular aspects of our podcast. So today, as a bonus to our listeners, the entire episode will be mindfulness exercises. From our first year, we've chosen our favorites and those our listeners have told us are their favorites. Mindfulness is a centuries old method that allows a person to wield control over their thoughts and feelings. It's a way of staying in the moment. The Buddha said, be where you are, otherwise you will miss your life. As Valerie will show you, mindfulness can lead you to a sanctuary within yourself, something I would never have believed could exist within me. The principles and techniques of mindfulness are many. What I've learned is that it's a very individual practice. There's not only one way to do mindfulness. I've taken what works for me and use it daily to regulate my emotions, soothe my mind, find peace inside. These restorative qualities can happen in a very short amount of time. Anne Lamott said, almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you. Since mindfulness can exist within us, it can go anywhere and be used at any hour of the day or night. It can help us before a tense meeting or when we can't sleep. We always possess the means to reduce mental tension and physical stress, even in the most challenging times. As John Kabat Zinn said, you can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf. Now let's ride the waves with Valerie.

Valerie Milburn: Thank you, Helen. Our first mindfulness exercise is one of our favorites, diaphragmatic breathing. Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique Helen and I use daily, instinctively, after years of practice. Diaphragmatic breathing is a technique that research shows can help us feel relaxed, less stressed, and more in control of challenging situations. Usually, I lead this exercise, suggesting everyone get seated and close their eyes, since you may be running, driving, doing the laundry, or out on your walk. I won't do that. Helen and I

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Valerie Milburn: use diaphragmatic breathing whenever we want to get calm and centered. So that's how we are going to practice it today. From wherever you are, whatever you're doing to get started, let's all take a deep breath and let it out. Did you perhaps notice your shoulders going up and your chest inflating? That's what's called chest breathing, and it's inefficient. Diaphragmatic breathing allows us to breathe more deeply and slowly, bringing in oxygen more efficiently. Let's try it. I want you to imagine you have a balloon in your stomach that you'll inflate with your breathing. Here's what you're going to do. You're going to inhale through your nose, push your stomach out, and then hold your breath for a second or two. Then you'll exhale by pulling your stomach in and letting the air escape from your mouth. It's a noisy exhale. Let's do it. Now inhale through your nose. Push your stomach out, and then hold your breath for just a second or two. Now exhale through your mouth by pulling your stomach in to force your breath out. Try it again. Inhale through your nose so that balloon in your stomach expands. Hold your breath for a second or two. Now exhale through your mouth while pulling your stomach in. Once again, inhale through your nose so that balloon in your stomach expands your breath for A second or two. Exhale through your mouth while pulling your stomach in. One more time together. Inhale through your nose so that balloon in your stomach expands. Breath for a second or two. Now exhale through your mouth, filling your stomach in. Try it on your own. That's it. That's diaphragmatic breathing. It centers and calms me, and I use it if I feel anxious or stressed. And as part of my mindfulness and meditation practice. Thank you for doing this diaphragmatic breathing exercise with me. This next exercise is about fully immersing yourself in the moment. One definition of mindfulness is being aware of and controlling your experience. That's what we're going to practice right now. Living completely in the present moment and being fully aware of the experience. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, let's get mindful. If you're driving, be fully present in your sense of touch. Feel the steering wheel. Feel the material of the seat you are sitting on. At the next stoplight, take in the beauty of the sky. Fully immerse yourself in the moment. Maybe roll down your window and take in the sounds around you. Feel the outside air on your skin. Fully immerse yourself in the moment. If you are drinking coffee, really savor your next sip. Can you smell your coffee? Fully immerse yourself in the moment. If you are outside right now, maybe running or walking, look around, appreciate the beauty you see. Fully immerse yourself in the moment. Can you take in all the scents that nature offers? What does the sky look like? What shades of green are

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Valerie Milburn: in the trees and bushes? Are the trees with leaves or are there patterns in the bare branches? Fully immerse yourself in the moment. Admire a beautifully landscaped yard. Fully immerse yourself in the moment. If you're perhaps walking in the city, slow down for a bit. Admire the architecture of the buildings around you. Admire the urban landscaping. Fully immerse yourself in the moment. Take in the sound to the city. Are there conversations around you? Again, if you're drinking coffee, really savor your next sip. Fully immerse yourself in the moment. That's it. That's a quick mindfulness exercise. You were just mindful. Mindfulness can be a cornerstone of your recovery. It's one of the cornerstones of my recovery.

Valerie Milburn: This next exercise encourages us to become mindful of and appreciate someone who supports us. We're going to become fully conscious of someone important to us. Someone who supports us plays a positive role in our life. Think of someone in your life whom you really rely on or respect. It could be a friend, your spouse, your partner, your roommate, a parent, a sibling, your sponsor, a co worker, someone who supports you and has a positive impact on your life. We're going to focus intensely on that person's face. If your circumstances or situation don't allow you to fully participate in this exercise, try to remember the spirit of the exercise and try it later on your own. Here we go. Imagine that person's face. Be observant but not critical. Focus on his or her eyes. What color are their eyes? Is he or she wearing glasses? Is the skin around the eyes smooth or lined? Does he or she look tired or rested? Be observant but not critical. If you become distracted, gently pull your mind away from those thoughts. Focus again

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Valerie Milburn: on the image in your mind. Now move your gaze wider. What shape is his or her nose? Flat, wide, turned up at the end? Be observant but not critical. Again, pull your mind away from distracting thoughts. Now look at the lips. What shape are the lips? Bow shaped, full, pale or rosy? Move your gaze wider. What color is the hair? Is it straight or curly? Is it loose and disheveled or neat and trimmed? Look intently at this important person's face, entire face. Be observant but not brutal. Be mindful of everything about this person's face. Thank this person for being in your life. Try to remember this person in trying times. I love that exercise and I'm not the only one who loves the next one. Mindful Driving I think I've had the most positive feedback about the mindful driving exercise of all of our mindfulness practices. So let's do it. Let's practice mindful driving. Driving calmly. Because there is nothing like heavy traffic and inpatient drivers to make stress levels soar. The worst the traffic, the worse the stress. Austin, where I live, has some hellacious traffic resulting in some unserine drivers. But it doesn't have to be like that. We don't have to be one of those unserine drivers. In fact, sitting in a traffic jam can be an excellent opportunity to build your mindfulness muscle, increase your sense of connection to others and maintain your serenity. Yes, it is possible to do these things while you are driving. We're going to go through a five step simple behind the wheel practice. Adapted from Mindful Magazine. If you are driving now, you can practice the steps with me. Whatever you are doing right now, you can visualize yourself driving and take in these steps to use the next time you are driving. So here we go. Step one Take a deep breath. A deep breath is simple yet profound. The moment it takes to breathe deeply allows time for a change in perspective and a different choice. Step 2 Ask yourself what you need. It may be in that moment that you need to feel safe, at ease, or you just need some relief. Ask yourself what you need because understanding what you need will bring balance. Step three Give yourself what you need. If ease is what you need, you can scan your body for any tension and soften any tension or adjust your body as needed. Speak self compassion such as May I be at ease? May I feel safe? May I be happy? Step 4 Look around and recognize that all the other drivers just like you, everyone on the road wants the same thing you do. To feel safe, have a sense of ease and to be happy. You'll probably see a few fellow drivers who look a bit agitated, but you might also catch that one who is singing or actually smiling,

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Valerie Milburn: and this will lessen your own stress immediately. You can apply to all the other drivers what you just offered to yourself, saying, may you be at ease, May you feel safe, May you be happy. Step 5 Take another deep breath in 15 seconds or less, you can turn around your mood by applying these simple tips. When you feel the frustration of traffic rising, choose whatever you need to work on and offer that condition to others. If you need to feel safe, say may I be safe, may you be safe. May we all be safe. Breathe in, breathe out. Spread happiness. There's your mindful driving practice. Our next mindful practice is called mindful appreciation. The point of this exercise is to simply give thanks and appreciate the seemingly insignificant things in our life, the things that support our existence, but rarely get a second thought within our busy days. Let's take time to notice something in your day that usually goes unappreciated. This can be an object or a person. It's up to you. Here are some examples. Electricity powers your coffee pot. The letter carrier delivers your mail. Your clothes provide you warmth. Your nose lets you smell the flowers in the park. Your ears let you hear the birds in the trees as you take your walk. Sometimes we take these things for granted. Are you ready to get mindful? Here we go. Think of an object or a person that is part of your everyday life. Something or someone you may take for granted or underappreciate. We will call this your gift. What's your gift you want to fully appreciate right now? Have you thought of one? Hold it in your mind. How did your gift come to exist? For example, what went into making the clothes that keep you warm? How did your gift come to exist? Take time to properly acknowledge how this gift benefits your life and the lives of others. For example, how comforting is the coffee your barista makes for you? How many people each day does your barista make happy? Acknowledge how your gift benefits your life and the lives of others. What would life be like without your gift? Notice the finer, more intricate details of your gift. Take 30 seconds to fully appreciate your gift. Sam you thank you for doing yet another mindfulness exercise with me. If this exercise resonated with you, take it to the next step tomorrow. Try to identify several of these gifts. You could even write them down. Take time to fully appreciate each of them in the manner we just did you

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Valerie Milburn: Our last mindfulness exercise today is called Unhooking from your thought. Thoughts are part of everyone's human experience. Mindfulness practice can help us learn to unhook ourselves from negative or unwanted thoughts and simply let them be without pushing the thoughts away or denying their presence. You can be aware of the thinking mind while remaining unattached. Let's try it. If you can, settle into a seated posture and close your eyes. If you are driving, obviously keep your eyes open. Also, please keep your mind on the road and just listen for the gist of the exercise. Come back and try it thoroughly when you can. However, we can all practice the deep breathing, so let's begin with deep, slow breathing. Breathe in through your nose, expanding your stomach as you inhale. For the count of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Exhale through your mouth, pulling your stomach in as you exhale. For the count of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Again, inhale through your nose, expanding your stomach. Exhale through your mouth, pulling your stomach in once more on your own. A deep breath in. Now think of a shaken snow globe with all that energy swirling around. As you visualize the snow globe, the little snowflakes fall gently to the ground. Think of yourself as a snow globe and every snowflake is a thought. In this way, watch as each thought, each and every snowflake falls to the ground. Do not force yourself to calm down. Let it happen slowly and organically. Now let your thoughts go. Snowflakes falling, and bring your attention to the breath in your body. Choose one spot where the breath is easily felt. It may be the center of the chest, the abdomen, the shoulders, or the nostrils. Observe the physical sensation of the body breathing. When your mind wanders, bring it back to your breath. Focus only on your breath. Stick with the snow globe visualization and as the thoughts rise up, visualize them as they slowly settle back down. Snowflakes falling. Now instead of returning to the breath when the mind wanders, notice what the mind is doing. You may notice yourself planning, figuring out or replaying past experiences. Whatever you observe the mind doing, let it be. Try not to encourage the thought, but don't push it away either. Allow it to be and allow it to go on its own. Thoughts falling, Snowflakes falling. See if you can watch the passing of the thought as it follows its natural trajectory and leaves the mind. Snowflakes falling. Return to the breath. Patiently wait till another thought rises. Notice it. Watch the thought

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Valerie Milburn: snowflake fall. Come back to the breath again. You will continue with mindfulness of the breath and the thoughts. Breath in the thoughts, alternating the breath and the thoughts. That will be your practice. Thank you for doing these mindfulness exercises with me today and all year.

Helen Sneed: Mindfulness, yes, but also gratitude. Valerie and I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for joining us on our first year of mental health, hope and recovery. It's been illuminating, exhilarating, occasionally bewildering, as we've made our way through 13 episodes. Our chief objective has been to help people with mental health issues find their way to recovery. We've tried to promote understanding, strategies and hope. We want to express our respect and admiration for anyone who is making the struggle or who is supporting a person who's making the struggle.

Valerie Milburn: Please join us as we launch our second year in January 2022. I love the sound of that.

Helen Sneed: And we leave you with our favorite word. Onward.