• Take slow , deep breaths through the diaphragm ( make sure you are not breathing only through your chest )
• Notice any unnecessary tension in any part of the body and let it go ( you will often find tension in the face , jaw and shoulders )
• Observe your breath without reacting , judging or wanting to change anything
• Be in pure acceptance of the present moment
• If you notice any thoughts , take your attention back to the breath .
How to use mindfulness in training sessions
The following tips are valid both for you and your clients .
1 Be in flow
The father of flow ,
Csikszentmihalyi , defines it as ‘ a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter . A place where selfconsciousness is lost , one surrenders completely to the moment , and time means nothing .’ In mindfulness , it is called being in the ‘ present moment ’. If you notice that a client is lost in thought , bring them back to the present moment .
THE QUICK READ
• Mindfulness involves awareness , and acceptance , of our thoughts , feelings , bodily sensations and surroundings
• Physical activity is a shortcut to mindfulness , as it forces us to focus on our immediate actions and stop worrying about potential future problems
• In addition to the mindfulness that exercise induces , you can actively practice it by regularly following a simple breath-focused routine
• Incorporating mindfulness into PT sessions and group workouts can give you an advantage over other fitness professionals .
Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts , feelings , bodily sensations and surroundings
2 Connect to your breath and become conscious of it
Breath is the link between mind and body . Once you slow down your breath you can easily get back into the body , prevent injuries and increase focus .
3 Use technology only where necessary
When you are not distracted by screens or anything else going on around you , you properly connect with your clients and can tune in to their needs around performance . When a client sees you are distracted , they can quickly lose their motivation , and their connection with you in that moment is weakened .
4 Warm up and cool down
Mindfulness exercises are especially useful for warming up and cooling down . You can ask your clients to notice any tension in the body . Tension is most often found in the neck , the shoulders , the jaw and around the eyes . For best practice , you can give the following instructions :
“ Relax the temples , the eye sockets , the route of the tongue and the jaw . If you notice the jaw is still not mobile , actively tighten it for a couple of seconds and then let it go .”
5 Give them that little bit extra
Give your client more than they expect . At the end of the cool down , explain to them how they can implement mindfulness in their daily life : how it will benefit them before entering a meeting , before eating or before any major life event .
I find that the ‘ servant and master ’ metaphor works well with my clients : ‘ The mind is a cruel master but a faithful servant .’ This means that when we listen to , and believe , the mind , it has mastery over us . We do whatever it wants . For example , as soon as we have an unwanted emotion such as anger , sadness , frustration or anxiety , we head straight for our go-to coping mechanism . Unhealthy coping mechanisms can include over-eating , drinking , shopping , speeding or snapping at others . These behaviours feed our over-excited ego . If we can become aware that it is just the egoic mind wanting its ‘ daily dose ’ of vices , we can then shift our attention to the breath and breathe slowly until we can achieve calm .
Whatever you feed grows stronger and whatever you starve dies . When you feed your vices , they grow stronger and get the better of you . When you feed consciousness by conscious breathing , you starve the egoic mind by not following its every whim . You are no longer enslaved by the mind ’ s crazy thoughts and desires .
Anastasia Charitou Anastasia operates Strategic Calm , a mindfulness consultancy in Brisbane . Strategic calm consults business owners and professionals to use mindfulness as a tool to achieve outcomes and control stress ..
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