The Program for Integrative Medicine at Boston Medical Center is focused on providing patients with the best tools necessary to live a holistic, meaningful life. The practice of mindfulness continues to be shown as a great way for individuals to feel more present in their day to day lives. Having a better understanding of your physical body sensations, your thoughts, and your emotions can help you navigate daily routines and difficult situations.
The Mindfulness program at BMC is an opportunity to develop self-compassion. As humans, we tend to be hard on ourselves. This program seeks to offer our community ways to find comfort and acceptance in ourselves in every aspect of our life.
Studies have shown that mindfulness programs can help patients manage their chronic pain, depression, and anxiety. Mindfulness has also been shown to improve an individual's mood and sleeping habits.
Mindfulness is not limited to meditation or yoga. The practice of mindfulness can be achieved by anyone. Our program aims to help our patients create their own definition of what it means to be mindful and how they can incorporate these practices into their daily lives.
Practicing mindfulness is a powerful tool to restore focus, enhance the joy in life and reduce stress. The following are examples of how to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life:
- Pay attention to your breath, noticing what it feels like every time you breathe in and out.
- Complete a mindful body scan
- Take 60 seconds to sit in a quiet place and think about 3 things you are grateful for.
- Follow a short mindfulness meditation
The Program for Integrative Medicine invites you to further explore mindfulness and how you can incorporate it into your life. Below are excellent resources for starting to practice mindfulness:
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us via email at mindfulness@bmc.org