The Benefits of Mindfulness

Men's HealthMental HealthPhysiotherapyWellness
Written By Kim Deschamps

Written by Kim Deschamps | November 12, 2019

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.

While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily available to us when we practice on a daily basis.

Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses, or to your state of mind via your thoughts and emotions, you’re being mindful. And there’s growing research showing that when you train your brain to be mindful, you’re actually remodelling the physical structure of your brain.

The goal of mindfulness is to wake up to the inner workings of our mental, emotional, and physical processes.

Typical mindfulness activities include:

  • Mindful non-judgmental awareness of breath, body, feelings, emotions and/or thoughts (in sitting meditation practice or throughout the day)

  • Mindful walking meditation

  • Mindful eating

  • Mindful body scan in a sitting or lying down position

  • Listening with non-judgment

  • Practicing Loving-kindness to self, others, and those in conflict with.

Mindful Living: Exploring the benefits of mindfulness in just minutes out of your day.

Connect
People who feel lonely and isolated are 3x more likely to die prematurely. Create opportunities for face-to-face connection. Next time you see a favourite friend in your Facebook feed, call them for an in-person get together.

Focus on the Good
Humans are hardwired to remember the negative. To hardwire the positive instead, write down 3 good things at bedtime that happened to you during the day and write what you did to make those good things happen. Studies show this 5-minute task drastically improves happiness in just 14 days!

Kindness
Performing 1 act of kindness a day over just 10 days has been proven to measurably increase your happiness. Bring coffee to a co-worker or pay a friend a genuine compliment!

Embrace Your Mistakes
People who view their mistakes as opportunities for growth are more optimistic, happier, satisfied with their lives, quickly rebound after failure and are more resilient.

Mindfulness can be described as the practice of paying attention in the present moment and doing it intentionally and with non-judgment.
Mindfulness keeps us present and embraces the beauty and the gifts that life is giving us right now.

Work Cited: Mindfullifetoday.com, https://www.mindful.org/meditation/mindfulness-getting-started/

Kim Deschamps

Physiotherapist

Pelvic Health Therapist

Yoga Therapist

Kim Deschamps

Kim Deschamps, MPT, BKin, PYT, BDN

Kim is a physiotherapist, pelvic health therapist, professional yoga therapist, and the owner of Holistic Physiotherapy and Wellness. Kim’s professional practice follows a holistic or whole-being approach to health and wellness. Her goal is to help people find the primary driver to their pain, reduced mobility, and reduced function. She strongly advocates that every person holds the power to be an active driver in their health and well-being. Kim strives to promote self-care with her clients and the community. She actively practices this in her personal life and works hard to have work-home-life balance.

Kim's first education adventure was at the SIAST Wascana Campus in Regina, SK, where she completed a Certificate in Occupational Therapy Assistant/Physical Therapy Assistant in 2006. Kim later completed a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology with Great Distinction and majored in Adapted Physical Activity in 2011. Kim also completed a Certificate in Gerontology (Study of Aging) from Mount Royal University in 2011. Soon after Kim applied into the College of Medicine, School of Physical Therapy at the University of Saskatchewan where she completed a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy in 2013.

After graduation, Kim knew that she wanted to pursue continuing education in movement-based, alternative and integrative medicine. This is when she began her medical therapeutic yoga training at the Professional Yoga Therapy Institute in Emerald Isle, NC. Kim has continued in this path taking further training in yoga therapy specializing in pain care management, prenatal and postpartum therapeutic yoga, and pelvic floor and core re-training. Kim has also completed additional continuing education in Pelvic Health Physiotherapy which provides her with specialized training and skills to assist clients with bladder and bowel concerns, pelvic pain, prenatal and postnatal rehabilitation, and pelvic organ prolapse. Kim has recently received her certification in Biomedical Dry Needling and is now adding this tool as an adjunct to her physiotherapy treatments with her patients.

Kim strongly advocates for her colleagues to find their passion, to follow their desire, and to take care of themselves first before extending care to others. When reflecting back on her journey through Professional Yoga Therapy training and connecting with practitioners from all around North America, Kim shares that the most valuable lesson she learned was how to prevent practitioner burnout. By listening to her body, mind, and spirit she follows her values and extends kindness and gratitude daily... this is Kim’s daily yoga practice.

Previous

3 Ways to Support Digestion During the Holidays
Next

Yoga, Self Care & What I Know For Sure