Dr Julio C. Giorgini (MN 100.308/MP 333.645)
Cardiologist
Member of the Council of Psychosocial Aspects of the Argentine Society of Cardiology.
Member of the Board of Directors of the Argentine Cardiology Foundation.
The current high levels of stress and anxiety have favored the development of different activities or practices that allow us to feel calmer and more peaceful. It is common to hear comments such as «my head can’t stop», «I can’t lower my anxiety», «the only thing that calms me down is smoking or eating or taking an anxiolytic». Unfortunately, sometimes in order to calm down, some people resort to toxic or addictive substances». The regular, sustained practice of mindfulness, also known as Mindfulness, can provide those who practice it with resources to be able to govern these unpleasant emotions or feelings and prevent them from leading to behaviors that are unhealthy, harmful or even violent, both for oneself and for other people.
In the West it began to be practiced 40 years ago thanks to the development of the Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction program of Dr. Jon Kabat Zinn. But it is far from being new or even recent. Since about 2500 years ago in the East, mindfulness is more than a practice as we understand today a sport, or Yoga or Pilates, but a way of life, a contextual framework within which we observe what is happening to us and what happens.
The practice of Mindfulness allows us to develop resources to learn first of all to stop, «stop».
why is stopping so important?
If we are walking and we see a graphic, a photo that catches our attention, we need to stop, to bring our attention to that image in order to observe the details. In motion, it is not possible to have the same level of observation. The same thing happens in our life. Stopping allows us to observe what is happening around us, what is happening in our body and in our mind. And after observing, we can make conscious decisions, discern and then act instead of reacting. Cutting the autopilot that controls us daily.
Conscious eating
Mindful eating is part of the practice of Mindfulness. Before eating I can stop and observe myself: am I really hungry, or is it anxiety? And if I am really hungry, how hungry am I? I can observe what I am going to eat: is it healthy, is it the right amount, is it the right amount?
But it is not possible to make these observations if we do not first learn to stop. It’s not something that comes overnight. It is not a race, so there is no time. It just takes perseverance and a lot of self-kindness because on this road there are better days and not so good days. It is on those days that it is important not to punish oneself, understanding that it does not represent a failure or a failure.
The practice of Mindfulness consists of a part of «formal» meditation practice that allows us to train concentration and achieve neuronal changes (neuroplasticity) in the long term. How much meditation is recommended? Of course, the more the better, but if you have 10 minutes a day, it is better than nothing, and 20 minutes, better than 10. The most important thing is regular and sustained practice over time. On the other hand, and no less important, is the «informal» practice, the day to day, the moment to moment, in everything we do.
Can someone who has never meditated do so? Absolutely, yes. There are people who started meditating since childhood, but there are those who started already in adulthood.
Are there any contraindications? Generally speaking, almost everyone can meditate safely. Only in some very isolated cases of people with some very severe psychiatric pathologies it is advisable not to do it. On the contrary, for the vast majority of people, it is a safe practice.
Does meditation imply any religious question? No. The practice of meditation has no relation with any religion.
If you have any questions about meditation or Mindfulness, don’t hesitate to ask us!
