Mindfulness and Mind Body Medicine

Mindfulness - Living in the present moment. Being intentionally more aware in each moment. Being fully engaged with your surroundings - with acceptance, without judgment, and without interpretation.

Mind Body Medicine - The power of your thought processes can change what is happening in your body. You can train your attention to form new pathways in the brain for lower levels of Stress, Anger, and Anxiety.

The stress response is automatic but the relaxation response takes practice. With Deep Breathing, Meditation, Yoga, and Progressive Muscle Relaxation, you can train your mind and body to slow down. Decreasing the rate of your breathing also decreases your heart rate and blood pressure. These relaxation techniques help you focus on the present moment, increasing mindfulness, which increases your overall mental health and well-being.

These relaxation techniques allow you to focus on something calming while also becoming more aware of your body. With this training, you can become more aware of what your stress response feels like. With this increased awareness, you can begin to notice when you become stressed and practice these forms of relaxation at those times to decrease stress and prevent it from escalating.