Does mindfulness really help? A question I also asked myself.

It took me a long time to decide to practice mindfulness and meditation. For someone with a lot of thoughts and an anxious mind, I felt like there was no way deep breathing or yoga poses would fix all that. That said, my mom really wanted to give it a try; so a few years ago, I went to a meditation retreat with her and my sister. If I remember correctly, it was only a few hours, but it felt like the longest few hours at first. I remember sitting in the chair completely antsy. I got even more stressed by the thought of doing it wrong and I sat there feeling like I was wasting my time. So many thoughts passed through my head including “Why am I here?” “This is absurd” “Why can’t I just relax?” and so on. As those thoughts crossed my mind, I recall being reminded often that “the mind won’t shut off, and having constant thoughts are OK and completely normal.” [Insert eye roll here.]

At the end of the retreat though, after I overcame my deep feelings of annoyance, I ended up feeling slightly more curious about the practice. I followed @MelissaWoodHealth and found her introduction to meditation on YouTube. I was slowly getting into it. I kept trying short, different meditations and trials to practice. Consistency is key after all. Now, I use deep breathing techniques daily, and apps like Headspace and Calm. And while I do this often, I feel like I have so much more to learn - so much more to train my mind. And that’s okay. Progress not perfection.

As I continue my health journey and build a community of wellness friends and followers, I came across @mindful__journey, Katherine DiMaggio, who just so happens to be an old friend, and sorority sister from the University of Delaware. I’m so glad we crossed paths again because she is a wealth of knowledge and the kindest soul!

Katherine is a mindfulness coach helping young professionals develop personalized mindfulness practices so they can lead happier and more successful lives. I asked her to share a few of her tips with us, which can be found below. Some new info and I’m eager to continue practicing with her insights!

What is the best way to start a mindfulness practice if you don't know where to begin?

This is great, and I love working with people who are just starting with mindfulness. I know it can feel sometimes intimidating, or confusing, or unclear of how to do it “right.” Mindfulness means nonjudgmental awareness. So, if you’re brand new to mindfulness, I’d recommend working on the awareness part. For the next 30 days do 2 things:

• One is to start with an activity that’s already a part of your daily routine and commit to giving it your full attention any time you do it. For example, it could be showering, making your cup of coffee, walking your dog. Notice EVERYTHING about that activity, and if your mind wanders, bring it back to thinking about what you’re doing.

• Two, set a daily alarm for once a day, maybe mid-day, and when it goes off, check in with how you’re feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally. No need to try to change anything. It’s normal that both of these take practice so giving it 30 days gives you a chance to make awareness a more natural habit.

What is the importance of positive self-talk and how can you shift your mindset to get there?

Positive self-talk is HUGE. Our minds are constantly on, like a radio always playing in the background. If we don’t intentionally set the radio to a station that plays something that makes us happy, we are instead hearing negative messaging all day long whether we’re consciously aware of it or not. The awareness exercise above will help you start to notice how kind or unkind your self-talk is. Think about what you would say to your best friend. You probably wouldn’t say something like “you’re stupid and you’re never going to be any good at this,” meanwhile we’re way more likely to say that to ourselves. Start to talk to yourself the way you would your best friend, with love and encouragement. You get to choose the radio station of your thoughts! 

What's one journaling prompt you'd recommend for someone to help them to start to look inward?

I LOVE journaling. One place to start would be to think about a time in the last month where you felt really, really happy, in the zone, and super absorbed in exactly what you were doing. In your journal, write out a description of that moment, or day, in as much detail as possible. Was it a hike with your friend? Was it a presentation at work that you pulled off? Don’t second guess or question what moment comes to mind, just write and describe it. Try not to leave any detail out, no matter how small. This gives you great clues about what contexts make you feel good.

How do you incorporate gratitude into your daily routine?

There are 2 ways I practice gratitude regularly.

Daily, I wake up and think of something I am grateful for as soon as I open my eyes. Of course it takes practice to make this into a habit but it sets up my whole day to start on a positive note. And it can be really small things! Like the way the sun is coming through the window or the feeling of my pillow.

The second tool that I love to do and recommend to clients is a “rampage of appreciation.” I do this anytime I’m feeling super grateful and I want to remember the moment, or if I’m feeling down in the dumps or stressed out and I want to get to a different state of mind. Essentially you just write down everything you are grateful for in that moment. I do it on a notes page in my phone. Write down EVERYTHING, big or small. By the end you will seriously feel a complete shift in your energy. I also like to date them and save them so I can look back at them.

What is one tool or technique you'd recommend to someone feeling stressed or anxious?

My favorite is the 4/7/8 breath. Inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 7, and exhale for a count of 8. Letting the exhale be longer than the inhale helps calm your nervous system.

What are the benefits to working with a meditation and mindfulness coach?

Soo many. But three main ones:

• Practice is crucial. Building a mindfulness habit requires consistency, so the accountability that comes with coaching is super helpful. We also work through any barriers to you being able to maintain consistency so we can get ahead of them and fit the practice to your lifestyle. It really encourages follow through and gets you to your desired results.

• It’s tailored to the individual. There are different forms of mindfulness and meditation that work best for different people. A client I worked with didn’t resonate with a visualization meditation as much as he did with a body scan, so we were able to focus on that and I could tailor his experience to him and base my recommendations on that. Some people prefer minimal meditation and can build their mindfulness in so many other ways like affirmations, mindful eating, drawing, etc so having someone helping you individually means you can find those avenues that are best for you.

• Helping to facilitate reflection, which in my philosophy is a huge part of building a mindfulness practice. As the coach I prompt my clients to identify the shifts they’ve felt since starting mindfulness and it helps reinforce how powerful this habit is. Sometimes people get less committed to their mindfulness tools once they start feeling the benefits, as if they don’t need them anymore, when really the opposite is true. Reflecting back with a coach cheering you on helps you build on your results even more!

Any other tips or advice you think would be helpful for my audience to know?

Mindfulness is for everyone. It doesn’t only mean meditation, and it’s not for some exclusive wellness community, everyone can benefit from it! If you are feeling the nudge, I really encourage you to explore working with a coach. There’s no harm in having a consultation session – I offer 30 minute calls for free to see if we’re a good match and have a few different ways we can work together at different price points. To dive in more on this topic for free or cheap, I definitely recommend the Insight Timer app and The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

Website: www.katherinedimaggio.com

IG: @mindful__journey

Book a consult call: https://katherinedimaggio.satoriapp.com/offers/230794-consultation-session