Mindfulness and Meditation
Is technology the answer? Can mindfulness be achieved through the simple click of a button?
Rewiring the brain: It is undoubtedly easier said than done. However, we do live in the era of technological advancements, so sitting beside a babbling brook has been replaced with downloading an app. If you are like me, quieting the noise within your mind is near impossible. Here are some useful tools that are available to you in order to achieve this.
The importance of mindfulness and meditation is to self-regulate and build resilience, and for some it can be more powerful than any drug - yet far too many patients think meditation is not accessible for them. Dr Cynthia Thaik, Cardiologist, believes the biggest impact that mindfulness has is that it allows us to self-regulate and build resilience.
We jumped into our largest Facebook Closed Group and asked our APMA community what meditation tricks worked for them. The responses were almost unanimously technology related.
Smiling Minds seemed to hold the most popular vote.
The psychologists behind Smiling Minds wanted to make a free tool with the intention of bringing mindfulness into your everyday life. It allows you the freedom to meditate from the comfort of your own home. Smiling Minds is a Not for Profit, and we do love supporting other NFPs.
Another great (and free) app is the Meditation Oasis. This app has been designed for people facing illnesses and their families, and due to the ongoing pandemic it is currently free. You could also try Calm, Relax Lite or Insight Timer.
A number of people told us there were YouTubers to seek out. Lynne had meditation on her bucket list and at 71 she decided to start prioritising it. She recommends Tansy Forrest and Jason Stephenson. Both do some really good sleep meditations that are longer. Another is The Meditative Mind.
Box breathing and Lion’s Breathing are two techniques that help you breathe through different experiences.
A google search will bring up plenty of examples.
Other members offered some book suggestions. Here are three options for you to explore Mindfulness for Health, Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Relief, Mindfulness Meditation for Pain Management. If you would like us to stock any of these please let us know.
Mindfulness does not need to be limited to breathing exercises though, this can be achieved through any act where you are able to still your mind. Single task activities like crocheting, knitting, and other forms of art can be great ways to focus on something peaceful and distracting. Single tasking is really worth a mention. I personally find not multitasking an effective way to stop overwhelm.
It’s important to remember that building meditation into your day is not a linear process.
You don’t have to empty your mind. Don’t worry if your mind chatters. Start small with just a few minutes and work your way up to a longer session. This is a practice of no judgement.
There are countless studies that show the positive effects of meditation for chronic pain management. We’re in support of more tools in your pain management toolkit. The health benefits associated are cognitive control, emotion regulation, positive mood and acceptance. It is never a one size fits all model, and if the end result is a pause from your pain, then it is a successful endeavour.
This post has been shared with consent. The views reflected in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of APMA. This space has been provided to give our community a voice, without bias.
APMA does not offer medical advice through the blog entries. Please speak to your healthcare professional for any information surrounding a condition and/or medication