Mindfulness - A 5 Minute Per Day Guide

Posted 13 Apr, 2022 • Matt Frank • Sleep/Self-Care Guide to Mindfulness in 5 Minutes a Day

This is a personal message from Founder and CEO of Laughing Lion Herbs, Matt Frank. All information is based on my own experiences and research. I am not a medical professional and I am not making any sort of medical claims. Try Kratom for Aiding a Mindfulness Practice

Let me tell you a bit of my story

Back in the mid 2000's I was playing with my kids showing them how to do a somersault. I demonstrated and came down on my neck in a very bad way causing a chain reaction in my body that threw me into a life-time of Chronic Pain.

I have used a number of natural methods to get those issues under control including natural products like Kratom, CBD, and Kava. I've incorporated Mindfulness into my daily routine and while I'm far from perfect at doing it, I've learned how to change my own story and hopefully you can change yours!

So what is Mindfulness?

According to Wikipedia, Mindfulness is "... the practice of purposely bringing one's attention in the present moment without evaluation, a skill one develops through meditation or other training." It shows up in Buddhist traditions. However, it is also present in the Bible with over 50 verses that speak to the importance of a calm and collected mind. Focusing not on the past but on the present, not worrying about tomorrow. Many other world religions and faiths have had some sort of teaching about the concepts of Mindfulness as well. Mindfulness however, is not necessarily religious. Personally as a Christian, I incorporate prayer, Scripture, and just conversation with God into my practices but the practice is the same whether you do that or not! All it takes is 5 minutes a day and you can choose the time of day so it fits into your schedule!

If you want to know which verses I am referring to...

• Psalm 48:9 NLT "O God, we meditate on your unfailing love"
• But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. ~ Matthew 6:6 NIV
• Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! ~ Psalm 46:10 ESV
• And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. ~ Genesis 24:63 ESV
• May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the LORD.~ Psalm 104:34 NIV

There are MANY more!

Simple Steps To Take

Mindfulness starts and ends with the breath. Setup your space: Find a quiet place that you can sit down on the floor, a cushion, chair, or even lie down. Make sure you will not be disturbed so you can relax without worrying about being interrupted. Put on some white noise or background noise (free on YouTube or various mobile apps). If you can, use a guided meditation on YouTube or my personal Favorite App "Calm" (not a free app) it can really help you as you start your Mindfulness practice.

1. Begin: Close your eyes and take a deep breath in through the nose for a count of 4, hold it for 4, and let it out for 8 slowly through the mouth. While you are releasing your breath think about relaxing your body, feeling the sensation of sinking into your chair, floor, or bed. Repeat 4 or 5 times.
2. Breath: After your slow breathing, allow your breath to return to normal and just focus your attention on feeling your breath entering your body. Turn your focus to where you "feel" the sensation of air passing through your body the most, focus your attention on that feeling and that spot.
3. Positive Encouragement: Once you are focused on that feeling, speak to yourself encouragement such as "I am safe, I am loved, God loves me, etc" repeat these statements along with each outbreath as you release your breath. (or any scripture or encouragements that are true and authentic)
4. Finish: Continue until your 5 minutes are up (or go longer if you are able!) Open your eyes, wiggle your fingers and toes, take one more deep breath, and complete your practice!

Isn't This Just Meditation?

Mindfulness is the concept of training your mind and body to be focused on the moment. The more you practice Mindfulness, the more you are able to experience the beneficial effects that extend from mental and emotional support to physiological benefits. Meditation is one of the many tools to help you develop better mindfulness. The control that I've been able to gain over my body's stress levels is remarkable. I used to have anxiety attacks literally 2-4x per day! They were so debilitating that I was unable to do anything but lie down and wait for them to pass while I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I also learned more about how to control my body's stress response when I was at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota where they used Biofeedback sensors to read my interval heart rate which indicates your stress levels in real time. I was able to watch what various breathing techniques did in real-time to my stress levels and that has has a tremendous impact on my ability to overcome anxiety attacks.

No one is the same and I'm not saying you will have the same success that I have, but I do know that the more often you can practice short simple meditations or deep breathing exercises, the more you will learn how to better understand yourself and begin to worry less about the past or the future. God calls us to live in the moment according to the Bible. Many other experts across various practices have declared that Mindfulness is one of the most effective tools we have to help our mental health and stress levels. So I encourage everyone reading this to try it out! It certainly can't hurt!

Here are some amazing verses and phrases to recite or memorize during your breath practices. Christian or not, religious or not, they are peace bringing.

• I am enough, worthy of friendship and love, just as I am. - Unknown
• "Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him." - Psalm 62:5 NIV
• My value is not diminished by my imperfections or the perceptions of others. - Unknown
• "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself" Matthew 6:34
• I am choosing to live a life of integrity, love, and honesty. This will help me become the person I want to be. - Unknown
• Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. ~ John 14:27 ESV

Learn about Kratom

We hope that this article has been helpful for you and if you have any questions at all about these products or about meditation we would be more than happy to help guide you! Our passion is to bring education to the people about these amazing plants so that it removes the mystery and allows any adults to try it!

Contact us today at 888-895-7286 or by email at store@laughinglionherbs.com