Mindful meditation is about learning some simple techniques that aid us to focus on the here and now, to stop our minds from wandering (as they so often tend to do) and just be, even for a single minute. We are programmed to constantly switch between the past and the future, reflecting on moments been and gone and attempting to have control over the uncontrollable, the unknown. Mindfulness is about flushing out the unhelpful (and almost always unnecessary) negative thought cycles, a colonic for our thoughts if you will.

So what now? Thinking and learning are great, but doing is even better. A good place to start when it comes to any form of meditation is removing the focus from the mind and shifting it to the body, paying close attention to your breath is key. If you feel your thoughts starting to run away, that is entirely natural, the practice is to catch yourself and return back to the breath, no matter how many times it takes. It is about paying attention on purpose, noticing every sensation, concentrating on your posture and positioning. Allow yourself to have a soft gaze or even close your eyes and let the incoming ideas and judgements come and go.

The practice of mindful meditation has been proven to increase our attention spans, enhance our memory, and allow for a deeper connection with our sense of self, therefore, enabling a more balanced set of emotions. It has been coined as the bodies relaxation response and finding that source of relaxation and calm is fundamental to our mental and physical health - to switch us out of panic mood, the fight or flight response and be comfortable within a moment, no matter the external distractions.

So invest in some time to finding that destination of calm inside your head, it is important to reflect on your self-care routines.