Mindfulness

 Our bodies and brains communicate with each other through chemical and electric signals. This means that when we think about stressful, frightening or upsetting things, our bodies begin to feel tense, our digestion becomes more difficult, and we have difficulties sleeping. The tension in our bodies then sends signals back to our brains that they are tense, which can increase our level of mental stress. We can break this cycle in the body with exercises like breathing, stretches or progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) or we can break it in the mind using mindfulness, visualization or grounding exercises. This handout will guide you through the principles and practice of mindfulness