AT Home with Christian Jessen - March 2011 - (Page 42)

Mind over W ord is spreading fast these days about a kind of meditation called Mindfulness. Perhaps it’s because, for frazzled 21st-century types, it holds a whole host of attractions. To begin with, you don’t have to chant ‘om’, burn incense or wear orange robes. In fact, you don’t have to be part of any religion to practise it. It’s inexpensive and it’s something that each and every one of you can fit into your hectic daily routines. Allotting just a few minutes each day, say its devotees, really can help you to lead calmer, more contented lives and rediscover your inner joie de vivre. Mindfulness is based on Buddhist principles that go back more than 2,000 years. It was first pioneered by Dr Jon Kabat-Zinn in the 1970s. He and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the US used Mindfulness techniques to help relieve stress in people with chronic medical conditions. They called the eight-week courses offered Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Then, in 2001, UK academics Professor Dr Mark Williams and John Teasdale teamed up with Zindel Segal of the University of Toronto and together they developed Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) to help people with chronic depression. present and so free you from the negative thought patterns you fall into over the years. In order to do this, a Mindfulness teacher may encourage you to stand, sit or lie down while you simply focus on your breath, thoughts or the physical sensations in your body for a while (see The breathing space, opposite). Or you may be encouraged to do things normally done on autopilot, such as brushing your teeth or drinking a cup of tea, with more ‘awareness’ (see The chocolate meditation, opposite). They may be simple, but techniques like these can bring about profound changes in your life, says Anna Black, a Mindfulness teacher based in London and author of Living In The Moment (£12.99, CICO Books). ‘One of the things Mindfulness teaches you is acceptance – accepting other people or accepting your medical condition; accepting yourselves, warts and all. ‘It also teaches you kindness to yourself. People are often surprised when they realise how tough they are on themselves. Mindfulness gives you a sense of perspective, too. It allows you to see that any problem you may have is just a small part of who you are. It’s not the whole story.’ MATTER If you think meditation is all about chanting and tricky cross-legged poses, think again. There’s a new kid on the block and it’s working wonders for teens, adults and A-list stars... CELEB APPROVAL The practise of Mindfulness has been growing in popularity among Hollywood’s red carpet glitterati Actress Goldie Hawn, 66, who acts as an advocate for the technique, has recently launched a ‘MindUp’ Mindfulness course for parents to use with their children. Fellow Hollywood actress, Meg Ryan, 50, swears by the technique, too: ‘By simply refocusing your awareness, you reshape your experience,’ she says. And US TV queen, Oprah Winfrey, 58, is so convinced by the power of Mindfulness that she has set up an entire television network– the Oprah Winfrey Network – devoted to what she calls ‘mindful television’. Here in the UK, meanwhile, comedienne Ruby Wax, 58, who has su ered with depression, is promoting Mindfulness as an e ective way to beat the condition. ‘Now, when the onslaught of depression starts, I can see it through a di erent lens,’ she says. ‘You can really feel the di erence.’ stress, fatigue and chronic pain as well as depression,’ he says. ‘If you practise it regularly it makes you much more aware of the negative thought patterns you get caught up in sometimes. It simply makes you feel happier.’ And it’s not just doctors who are starting to understand the value of Mindfulness, either. These days it’s increasingly being taught in schools, colleges, workplaces and prisons. Notre Dame High School in Norwich has been offering Mindfulness courses to their GCSE students for the past two years. ‘We’re very committed to it,’ says deputy headteacher, Neil Cully. ‘The aim is to help children be more aware of the importance of mental wellbeing. Mindfulness offers new strategies and techniques that will help them cope with all the things life throws at them.’ Mindfulness may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you find you’re no longer coping so well with life, it may just be worth a try. As Anna Black says: ‘If you start to pay attention to the moments that make up every day, you can change your life for the better.’ Dr Christian says... ‘How DOCTOR’S ORDERS Another thing that has really helped Mindfulness take off in recent years is the fact that there is good-quality research to back it up. One study, for example, showed that Mindfulness is just as effective as anti-depressants for preventing recurring depression. As a result, UK mental health guides now recommend it as a first-line of treatment for cases of depression. Dr Peter Wilkes, a GP resident in the Scottish Highlands, has been teaching Mindfulness to his patients for five years. ‘Patients find it helpful for a range of problems including anxiety, LIVE IN THE NOW The thinking behind Mindfulness is that you spend a large portion of your lives either re-living the past or madly fretting about the future. Because you pay so little attention to what is actually happening in the present, you tend to dash through life on autopilot. Before you know it you feel stressed, anxious and burnt out. The techniques of Mindfulness are designed to pull you back into the 042 | MARCH 2012 WORDS: Martine Gallie | PHOTOGRAPH: Getty Images you perceive a stressful event is more important than the event itself, and so altering the way the event is viewed can signi cantly lower the impact of stress on the body.’

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AT Home with Christian Jessen - March 2011

EDITOR'S LETTER
A WARM WELCOME FROM DR CHRISTIAN
NEWS
SAVE THE DATE
DEFENSIVE EATING
SLEEPING BEAUTY
SPOIL YOURSELF
FAMOUS FIGURES
WIN TOP PRIZES
DR JESSEN, I PRESUME
FEEL-GOOD FACTOR
A BEAUTIFUL MIND
PROTECT YOURSELF
GETTING OVER IT
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON
WHAT LIES BENEATH
SUGAR HIGHS AND LOWS
WHAT'S UP, DOC?
ON THE RUN
SMOKING GUN
FRESHLY GROUND
I CAN'T EAT THAT
OFF THE SCALES
WALKING TALL
IN GOOD HANDS?
GIRLS ONLY
IN THE BLOOD
PERIOD PROPERTIES
FERTILITY HELP
A WEE ISSUE
UNDER YOUR HAT
CONFESSIONS OF AN ALCOHOLIC
DANGER ZONE
BODY BASICS
HEART-STOPPING MOMENTS
BACK TO BASICS
WALKING ON SUNSHINE
THE SKIN YOU LIVE IN
LISTEN UP
EYESORE
IN PLAIN SIGHT
DOWN UNDER
BUMP 'N GRIND
LET'S TALK ABOUT SEX
MAN TALK
DO YOU KNOW YOUR BMI?
I'LL HAVE A 'P' PLEASE
BOYS DON'T CRY
TO THE EXTREME
THREE-DAY SLIM DOWN
TOTALLY ADDICTED TO CAKE
JUST A PINCH
GYM JAMS
THEY'RE DOING WHAT?
GOTTA HAVE IT
EYES WIDE SHUT
PETER PAN PLAN
HOW OLD?
HOW OLD?
FUZZ FREE
FUZZ FREE
CUT HERE
CUT HERE
ON THE MEND
ON THE MEND
KNOW YOUR NIP/TUCKS
KNOW YOUR NIP/TUCKS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
STAY SAFE ABROAD
STAY SAFE ABROAD
SAY CHEESE!
SAY CHEESE!
IVORY TOWER
IVORY TOWER
MOUTH MAYHEM
MOUTH MAYHEM
COMING SOON
COMING SOON
LIGHTEN UP
LIGHTEN UP
COULD YOU BE A GUINEA PIG?
COULD YOU BE A GUINEA PIG?
HEADS UP
HEADS UP
LAST WORD
LAST WORD
STOCKISTS
STOCKISTS

AT Home with Christian Jessen - March 2011

https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/yourbusiness2021
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/athomewithchrisjessen2018
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/athomewithsarahbeenyautumn2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/athomewithlorrainekelly2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/athomeparentingwithJoFrost2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/SarahBeenySpring2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AskTheDoctorWithDrJessenFebruary2017
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeWithTessDaly2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/Careers/YourBusinessWithJamesCaan2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeWithGloriaHunnifordOctober2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeWithSarahBeenyAutumn2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeWithLorraineKelly2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeWithJoFrostJune2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeWithSarahBeenySpring2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeWithDrChristianJessen2016
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AthomeWithTessDaly2015
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/YourBusinessWithJamesCaanAutumn2015
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AthomeWithSarahBeeny2015
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AthomeWithGloriaHunniford2015
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHomeLorraineKelly2015
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/JoFrost15
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/SarahBennyMay2015
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/OrthopaedicSupplementMarch2015
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/DrChristianJessenFeb2015
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/athomewithtessdaly
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/jobsandcareers2014
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/yourbusinesswithjamescaan
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/athomewithsarahbeeny
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/parentingjofrost
https://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/drchristianjessen
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/Athomelorrainekelly
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/Athomesarahbeeny
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/Cheers_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Christmas_New_year_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Exclusive_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Jo_Frost_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Carol_Vorderman_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Christian_Jessen_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Sarah_Beeny_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Lorraine_Kelly_2013
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_James_Martin_2012
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Jo_Frost_2012
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Dr_Chris_Steele_Sept_2012
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Sally_Gunnell_2012
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Sarah_Beeny_Aug_2012
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Lorraine-Kelly_2012
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Christian_Jessen_2012
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_James_Martin_2011
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Sarah_beeny_winter_2011
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/Lorraine_Kelly_Nov_2011
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/At_Home_Marco_Pierre_White_2011
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/AtHome/Jo_Frost_July_2011
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/Lorraine_Kelly_June_2011/Lorraine_Kelly_June_2011
http://europe.nxtbook.com/emp/AtHome/Sarah_Beeny_May_2011
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com