Previous Thoughts of Mindfulness
I never thought I would spend time doing mindfulness during my day. I always thought mindfulness was a joke and a waste of time. I thought that the concept of mindfulness was silly; however, I recently engaged in mindful practices and even enrolled in a mindfulness course at Wesleyan University. This change in mindset was largely due to the fact that I have been struggling with chronic pain in my neck and back. While I have cycled through several different treatment options, they have not been helpful. I attended several seminars to help inform me of different treatment methods, and I came across mindfulness/meditation.
Transformative Thoughts of Mindfulness
I decided I would finally give it a try because I had become so stuck and run by pain in my life that I needed to change courses. So, I began waking up at around 5:00 am and listening to a guided meditation I found on YouTube. Some days, I would listen to a meditation on love and kindness; other days, I would listen to a guided meditation on being present. I realized that during the practice, my pain sometimes persisted, but after meditation was done, I felt pain relief that lasted a few hours. I also found that putting this time in my calendar actively got me to participate in this practice and lifestyle. Without making time for this practice, I found myself going on my phone and making excuses as to why I would avoid meditation. When I did make time for practice, I truly disengaged from the technological world and was able to appreciate my body and those around me further because I was grounded and more connected to the present.
Recent Thoughts of Mindfulness
As I began my mindfulness class in the Fall of 2023, I learned different methods of mindfulness and soon joined a club that did yoga every Tuesday. I found yoga to have a similar effect as meditation did. However, I found that I was challenged more in yoga than meditation, where I was still. This challenge was a blessing and a curse. During yoga, sometimes my pain would increase; however, I found the same effect as meditation, with my pain subsiding after the practice. The mindfulness class taught me that while I didn’t always enjoy yoga, I was being mindful by recognizing my comfort and physical sensations. Later in the course, I began journaling my thoughts and my days. I found that recognizing these thoughts gave me comfort because rather than ignoring my pain, I was able to transfer my emotional discomfort into positivity. I won’t say that journaling, yoga, meditation, and mindfulness completely diminish my pain, but these practices help me become more aware of myself and help me engage in healthy practices that will help me develop a great lifestyle. For example, rather than walking across campus listening to music, I walk without music and notice my surroundings (e.g., people, nature, and noises) and connect more to the present world.
