Why Mindfulness Meditation is Worth the Effort

Once considered exotic and mysterious, the practice of meditation has become mainstream in recent decades. Meditation classes can be found in yoga studios, schools, and the workplace. Many people associate meditation with stress reduction and inner calm but can get frustrated when they actually try it for themselves. “I can’t meditate … my mind won’t turn off,” is a common complaint. They feel like they’re doing it wrong or that it doesn’t live up to the hype. Fortunately, mindfulness meditation provides a way to deal with our busy minds.

What is Mindfulness?

There are a number of different types of meditation. There are meditation practices that have you focus on a word (or a “mantra”). Other forms use guided imagery or visualization. In recent years, mindfulness meditation has become popular in the West, in part because of its straightforward yet flexible approach.

Mindfulness meditation traces its roots back to early Buddhism and the essence remains unchanged. Mindfulness is frequently defined as a nonjudgmental awareness of the present moment. When we are being mindful, we pay attention to whatever arises in our minds and bodies without evaluating it as good or bad.

How Mindfulness Meditation Works

When we meditate, we begin by choosing an anchor, a “home base” for our attention. Many people use the breath as an anchor, but alternatives include using sound or the sensations in the hands. We start the meditation by putting our attention on the anchor. Inevitably, the mind will begin to wander, maybe making plans for the future or rehashing a past conversation. This is not a problem – this is what minds do. We simply notice that we are not present and return to the anchor. It doesn’t take long before it becomes apparent that our minds are not only unwieldy but are constantly judging our experiences. For instance, if we feel a pain in our knee, our minds automatically label that as “bad” and start worrying about what that might mean for the future.

Mindfulness helps us slow down this process and stay with what’s happening in the present moment without going down a rabbit hole. It’s not that we will begin to like knee pain, but we will be able to experience it without all the added mental baggage. In time, we begin to see that it is all the judgments that we add to the pain that makes it truly intolerable. There’s a common saying, “pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” Mindfulness meditation can help distinguish between the two.

The Far-Reaching Benefits of Mindfulness

While mindfulness meditation can certainly decrease stress and anxiety, the true benefits are much more profound. It allows us to see how much of our lives are spent trying to get away from painful experiences and hold on to pleasant ones. While our typical strategies might work in the short run, it can feel like we are always trying to control the uncontrollable. Mindfulness meditation can help us find inner stability no matter what’s going on around us. We develop the ability to accept life – and ourselves – even when waters are rough.

How Mindfulness Therapy Can Compliment Meditation

In my experience, meditation is an invaluable tool, but it can be difficult to sustain a practice on our own. Many people find meditation classes and groups an important source of support, especially when getting started. Working with a mindfulness therapist that has a background in mindfulness can also be beneficial. Mindfulness therapy can provide an understanding of your experiences in meditation and also help you customize it to help with challenges related to anxiety and low self-esteem. Sometimes people find that difficult emotions or past trauma arise as they begin to quiet their busy minds. Therapy can provide a safe setting to unpack whatever comes up in your practice and integrate it into your life.

Begin Mindfulness Therapy in Washington, DC, and Beyond

What I love most about mindfulness therapy is that it can be used in many different settings, for many different issues. I often incorporate mindfulness into sessions for other areas of concern, too. If you’re ready to get started with mindfulness therapy at my Washington, DC-area therapy practice, let’s get connected.

Firstly, set up a free 15-minute phone consultation. Then, we’ll meet to discuss your needs and goals for therapy. From there, we’ll get started with sessions and you can begin feeling more present in your life and in your mind when using mindfulness tools.

Other Services at Lisa Zimmerman Therapy

As an experienced mindfulness therapist in the Washington, DC area, I’ve seen how mindfulness therapy can help in all areas of life. If you don’t believe mindfulness is right for you, I offer other services, too, like therapy for codependency, trauma therapy, individual therapy for relationships, and more. Plus, I offer online therapy for your added convenience. Let’s get started finding peace within ourselves and the world around us.