Benefits of Mindfulness  - Dr. Efrain Centeno-

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​Practicing mindfulness improves both mental and physical health.

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Mindfulness involves both concentration (a form of meditation) and acceptance. Deliberately pay attention to thoughts and sensations without judgment. It takes practice to become comfortable with mindfulness techniques. If one method doesn’t work for you, try another.

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It’s a busy world. You fold the laundry while keeping one eye on the kids and another on the television. You plan your day while listening to the radio and commuting to work and then plan your weekend. But in the rush to accomplish necessary tasks, you may find yourself losing your connection with the present moment—missing out on what you’re doing and how you’re feeling. Did you notice whether you felt well-rested this morning or that forsythia is in bloom along your route to work?

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Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment. Mindfulness is now being examined scientifically and has been found to be a key element in happiness.

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Ancient roots, modern applications

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The cultivation of mindfulness has roots in Buddhism, but most religions include some type of prayer or meditation technique that helps shift your thoughts away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life.

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Professor emeritus Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder and former director of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center, helped to bring the practice of mindfulness meditation into mainstream medicine and demonstrated that practicing mindfulness can bring improvements in both physical and psychological symptoms as well as positive changes in health attitudes and behaviors.

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Mindfulness improves well being

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Increasing your capacity for mindfulness supports many attitudes that contribute to a satisfied life.

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Being mindful makes it easier to savor the pleasures in life as they occur, helps you become fully engaged in activities, and creates a greater capacity to deal with adverse events.

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By focusing on the here and now, many people who practice mindfulness find that they are less likely to get caught up in worries about the future or regrets over the past, are less preoccupied with concerns about success and self-esteem and are better able to form deep connections with others.

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Mindfulness improves physical health

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If greater well-being isn’t enough of an incentive, scientists have discovered the benefits of mindfulness techniques help improve physical health in a number of ways. Mindfulness can:

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help relieve stress

treat heart disease

lower blood pressure

reduce chronic pain

improve sleep

alleviate gastrointestinal difficulties

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Mindfulness improves mental health

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In recent years, psychotherapists have turned to

mindfulness meditation as an important element

in the treatment of a number of problems, including:

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depression

substance abuse

eating disorders

couples’ conflicts

anxiety disorders

obsessive-compulsive disorder

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Some experts believe that mindfulness works, in part, by helping people to accept their experiences—including painful emotions—rather than react to them with aversion and avoidance.

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It’s become increasingly common for mindfulness meditation to be combined with psychotherapy, especially cognitive-behavioral therapy. This development makes good sense since both meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy share the common goal of helping people gain perspective on irrational, maladaptive, and self-defeating thoughts.

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Meditation and other practices that foster mindfulness

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Mindfulness can be cultivated through mindfulness meditation, a systematic method of focusing your attention.

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You can learn to meditate on your own, following instructions in books or on tape. However, you may benefit from the support of an instructor or group to answer questions and help you stay motivated. At our center, we provide a medical meditation class that meets weekly on Fridays at 6:30 pm. We also provide one on one sessions.

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If you have a medical condition, you may prefer a medically oriented program that incorporates meditation such as ours.