How mindfulness meditation can benefit you

If you've heard about mindfulness — a form of meditation — you might be curious about how to practice it and how it might benefit you.

It is the act of being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling — without interpretation or judgment.

There are many possible benefits, including:

• Reduced stress, anxiety and depression.

• Less negative thinking and distraction.

• Improved mood.

There are many ways to practice mindfulness. For example:

• Make the familiar new again. Find a few small, familiar objects — such as a toothbrush, apple or cellphone — in your home or office. Identify one new detail about each object that you didn't see before.

• Focus on your breathing. Sit in a quiet place with your back straight, but relaxed. Feel your breath move in and out of your body. Let your awareness of everything else fall away. Pay attention to your nostrils as air passes in and out. Notice the way your abdomen expands and collapses with each breath.

• Awaken your senses. Pick up a raisin. Look at it, smell it and anticipate eating it. Taste the raisin, and slowly and deliberately chew it. Notice the way the raisin's taste changes, your impulse to swallow the raisin, your response to that impulse and any thoughts or emotions that arise along the way.

It depends on what kind of mindfulness exercise you plan to do.

If you choose to closely pay attention to another's words, for instance, you can repeat the exercise as opportunities arise throughout the day. (Avoid this type of exercise while driving, however, so you can focus on that.)

Aim to practice mindfulness every day for about six months. Over time, you might find that mindfulness becomes effortless. Think of it as a commitment to reconnecting with and nurturing yourself.