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Getting Started with Mindfulness
Getting Started with Mindfulness featured image

This time last year, none of us could’ve predicted the ways our lives have changed in the wake of COVID. There are numerous benefits to practicing mindfulness and gratitude, all of which alleviate the stress and anxiety of current life. Mindfulness can help stop the constant chatter in the mind, allowing people to take time to recognize and cope with their emotions. This may be especially helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, say Yale experts.

A Mindfulness of Breathing Exercise with Neuroscientist Amishi Jha - Mindful

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment and accepting what you are sensing and feeling without interpretation or judgment.  Mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other techniques to relax the body and mind and reduce stress.

Mindfulness has benefits for kids too. Mindfulness helps kids focus, reduce anxiety, and regulate their emotions. It has even been shown to reduce aggression, which improves social relationships.

Let’s get started! We’ve assembled a collection of resources so you can learn more about mindfulness and find the methods and techniques that work best for you.

Mindfulness Resources

Free Audio Resources for Mindfulness Meditation

Downloadable Mindfulness Meditation MP3 Files from MIT Medical

Body Scan (20:25)

Body Scan: Seated (6:54)*

Body Scan: Lying Down (39:32)*

Mindfulness of Breathing (16:09)

Sitting Meditation (33:38)*

Mindful Yoga (23:40)

Gentle Stretching/Yoga Meditation (38:20)*

Downloadable Relaxation MP3 Files from MIT Medical

Relax: Guided Meditation (6:26)

Music for Relaxation: Naive (2:06)

Music for Relaxation: Clouds (2:39)

Guided Visualization for Relaxation (9:01)

Videos

Morning MeditOcean A Guided Meditation with the Jellies from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

3 Minute Body Scan Meditation – Mindfulness For Kids And Adults from Fablefy – The Whole Child.

Kids’ Meditation – Butterfly body scan from Stop, Breathe & Think

Apps

This month’s edition of Power Parent Magazine features an article with gratitude and mindfulness apps for children, but it’s just as important for adults to have access to the apps that help guide us toward more mindful living. Check out the following apps and websites:

Headspace

Beginner-friendly. Has free 10-day trial and a discounted student plan.

Stop, Breathe, & Think 

Designed to help you check in with how you’re feeling and choose a mindfulness practice tuned to your emotions.

Calm.com 

Includes a seven-day free trial and multiple features, including a special bedtime-story option.

Simple Habit 

Offering new meditation plans and collections designed specifically for stress and anxiety related to coronavirus.

Also, check out these recommendations for meditation and mindfulness apps for kids and families from Common Sense Media.

Related articles from the December 2020 issue

Musical Mindfulness

Holiday 5 Senses

The Mindful Brain

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