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FEATUREFriday 26 February 2016
Why mindfulness has become a trend and how you can do it
KELLI KENNEDY In this Feb. 21, 2016 photo, Lauren Eckstrom, background center, begins a session at Unplug Medi- ness, meditation and yoga
Associated Press tation Center in Los Angeles. to New York city public
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. schools.
(AP) — Drop-in meditation WHY HAS MINDFULNESS BE- daily grind and instead live conventional wisdom that Instead, mindfulness should
studios are proliferating in COME SUCH A BUZZ-WORD? in the present moment. as we get older our brains be a natural byproduct of
major cities like New York Experts say it’s the antidote “The mind body connec- shrink in size. That’s true for a daily meditation prac-
and Los Angeles and medi to the fast-paced tech tion isn’t just something most people, but for peo- tice.
meet-ups are becoming world we live in. There’s you feel. There is a physi- ple who do have a con- “When you just tell some-
the new book clubs as slowly been a backlash ology that begins at the sistent regular mind body one just go close your eyes
more people are craving against a distracted, multi- molecular level that goes practice that may not nec- and meditate, it can be-
ways to unplug, pushing tasking lifestyle to one that all the way to the organ essarily be the case.” come like a torture. There
meditation practices and is more self-aware, live in level,” said Dr. Darshan I STARTED ON MY OWN AND are a bunch of thoughts
mindfulness movements the moment attitude. Mehta, medical director of IT’S MAKING ME FEEL ANX- and you don’t know want
from hippie to mainstream. “We’re just ingesting, in- the Benson-Henry Institute IOUS. IS THAT NORMAL? to do with them. Some-
We asked leading medi- gesting information all day for Mind Body Medicine Experts stress the impor- times you feel more restless
tation and mindfulness long,” Fletcher says. at Massachusetts General tance of starting with a being aware of all those
teachers to help demystify Adds Salzberg: “We get Hospital. “It challenges this teacher or one of the nu- thoughts,” says Richmond.
these ancient traditions. caught in these spirals of WHAT KIND OF CLASSES
WHAT IS MINDFULNESS? addiction. You remain un- merous apps or online vid- AND APPS ARE OUT THERE?
Mindfulness is staying con- fulfilled. That’s why we seek eos. For some, a YouTube At Unplug Meditation in
nected to the present mo- more and more intensity meditation video or a Los Angeles, students can
ment. and more and more stimu- mindfulness exercise with- choose classes to unblock
“You start to let go of all the lation in order to feel con- out guidance might feel chakras, cultivate intuition
accumulated stress and in- tent and it never works.” forced and unfulfilling at or a breathing class set to
formation. So it’s not only ARE THERE ANY REAL HEALTH first. modern music for $22. In
a time to not ingest, it’s a BENEFITS? “The more you push the Central Park, 1,500 people
time to let the body let go,” Experts say mindfulness of- mind, the more it will do the signed up for a free group
says Emily Fletcher, a for- fers a rest for the brain, in- opposite,” says Annelies meditation this summer
mer Broadway actress and creased productivity and Richmond, a director at the called The Big Quiet and
founder of Ziva Meditation the ability to turn off the Art of Living Foundation, 800 people sold out a New
in New York which offers in unfulfilling autopilot of the who helped bring mindful- York concert venue, pay-
person and online training. ing $20 to sit in silence.
Mindfulness also can help “It’s one of the most pro-
curb overeating and other found experiences you can
unhealthy habits. The rea- share with other humans,
son: Practicing mindfulness especially when you’re
makes one feel more sati- in the hundreds. There’s
ated — rather than, for ex- something about being in
ample, rushing through a quiet and sharing that with
sandwich while continuing a group that creates al-
to work, practitioners learn most like a vortex. It’s t like
to enjoy every bite, says the collective energy of the
meditation teacher Sharon room starts to swirl togeth-
Salzberg. er,” said event organizer
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BE- Jesse Israel, whose invite-
TWEEN MINDFULNESS AND only Medi Club in New York
MEDITATION? has grown to 1,000 people
While meditating is usually who vie for 200 spots at
associated with a sitting monthly meet-ups.
practice often guided by Emily Fletcher is the host of
the breath, mindfulness ex- a new podcast for Gaiam’s
tends that practice into ev- recently launched-app,
eryday life and focuses on which offers nearly two doz-
cultivating awareness in the en teachers from different
present. Sometimes com- lineages for $2.99. Most are
pared to mental strength between four to 15-minutes
training, mindfulness can and Fletcher’s offering in-
be practiced washing the clude guided visualization
dishes, driving to work, for a first date, sports per-
brushing your teeth and formance and test taking.
during other routine tasks. 1 Giant Mind’s free app
The point is to prevent your includes sessions between
mind from wandering, pro- 10 and 20 minutes with a
jecting fear and worry from guide, music or silence.
the past and future and Headspace’s popular app
training yourself to accept offers 10-minute guided
and enjoy the moment. meditations.q
