WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.422 align:middle line:90% [MUSIC PLAYING] 00:00:10.920 --> 00:00:11.507 align:middle line:84% DR RICHARD CHAMBERS: At its essence, 00:00:11.507 --> 00:00:13.381 align:middle line:84% mindfulness is being in the moment. 00:00:13.381 --> 00:00:15.916 align:middle line:84% It's really about being engaged with what we're 00:00:15.916 --> 00:00:19.450 align:middle line:84% doing in each moment, rather than being in that distracted 00:00:19.450 --> 00:00:22.602 align:middle line:84% mode where we're daydreaming about the past or the future, 00:00:22.602 --> 00:00:24.432 align:middle line:90% or caught up in reactivity. 00:00:24.432 --> 00:00:26.534 align:middle line:84% And if you think about it, there are probably moments 00:00:26.534 --> 00:00:28.860 align:middle line:84% throughout the day, actually, that you're already 00:00:28.860 --> 00:00:30.014 align:middle line:90% mindful and present. 00:00:30.014 --> 00:00:32.959 align:middle line:84% If you think about your hobbies, things that you enjoy doing, 00:00:32.959 --> 00:00:34.813 align:middle line:84% there's a pretty good chance that when you're doing them, 00:00:34.813 --> 00:00:38.525 align:middle line:84% you're engaged in the senses, fully immersed 00:00:38.525 --> 00:00:39.716 align:middle line:90% in that activity. 00:00:39.716 --> 00:00:41.121 align:middle line:84% And when you're doing these things, 00:00:41.121 --> 00:00:44.454 align:middle line:84% you're happy and relaxed, because of course, 00:00:44.454 --> 00:00:47.384 align:middle line:84% that's why we set these things out to be our hobbies, 00:00:47.384 --> 00:00:49.806 align:middle line:84% because there's something about being present and engaged 00:00:49.806 --> 00:00:51.641 align:middle line:90% that's actually very enjoyable. 00:00:51.641 --> 00:00:53.318 align:middle line:84% It also increases our performance 00:00:53.318 --> 00:00:56.680 align:middle line:84% as we learn to really focus and be present, 00:00:56.680 --> 00:01:00.509 align:middle line:84% to listen more effectively, to study more effectively, 00:01:00.509 --> 00:01:02.529 align:middle line:84% work more effectively, which is of course why 00:01:02.529 --> 00:01:06.078 align:middle line:84% this is being used in health care generally, and more 00:01:06.078 --> 00:01:07.929 align:middle line:90% in education. 00:01:07.929 --> 00:01:10.489 align:middle line:84% And so mindfulness is an everyday experience 00:01:10.489 --> 00:01:12.556 align:middle line:84% of being engaged and present with whatever we're 00:01:12.556 --> 00:01:14.538 align:middle line:90% doing from moment to moment. 00:01:14.538 --> 00:01:17.837 align:middle line:84% And of course, that's relatively easy to experience when 00:01:17.837 --> 00:01:19.590 align:middle line:90% we're doing things we enjoy. 00:01:19.590 --> 00:01:21.629 align:middle line:84% But for most of us, it's little harder 00:01:21.629 --> 00:01:23.100 align:middle line:84% when we're under the pump at work, 00:01:23.100 --> 00:01:25.919 align:middle line:84% stressed, when we're facing exams, 00:01:25.919 --> 00:01:28.104 align:middle line:84% when we're sitting in peak hour traffic. 00:01:28.104 --> 00:01:29.955 align:middle line:84% For most people, these would be times 00:01:29.955 --> 00:01:32.176 align:middle line:84% that we would tend to wander off into the default 00:01:32.176 --> 00:01:35.805 align:middle line:84% mode of worrying, or dwelling, or caught up in judgments 00:01:35.805 --> 00:01:37.608 align:middle line:84% and reactions, or just daydreaming and not 00:01:37.608 --> 00:01:38.771 align:middle line:90% paying attention. 00:01:38.771 --> 00:01:42.000 align:middle line:84% So in moments like this, mindfulness becomes a practice. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:43.705 align:middle line:84% And it is something that we can practise. 00:01:43.705 --> 00:01:46.614 align:middle line:84% And of course, anything we practise we get better at. 00:01:46.614 --> 00:01:50.189 align:middle line:84% And the practice of mindfulness is very simply to intentionally 00:01:50.189 --> 00:01:53.358 align:middle line:84% engage with whatever we're doing in the present moment, 00:01:53.358 --> 00:01:55.683 align:middle line:84% to notice when our mind invariably wanders off 00:01:55.683 --> 00:01:58.455 align:middle line:84% somewhere else, and then just to bring it back, 00:01:58.455 --> 00:02:00.911 align:middle line:84% and just to practise recognising that we wandered and coming 00:02:00.911 --> 00:02:03.586 align:middle line:84% back over and over and over again. 00:02:03.586 --> 00:02:05.735 align:middle line:84% And as we do that, we actually, of course, 00:02:05.735 --> 00:02:08.584 align:middle line:84% get better at recognising, faster at coming back. 00:02:08.584 --> 00:02:10.835 align:middle line:90% We start to rewire the brain. 00:02:10.835 --> 00:02:14.429 align:middle line:84% And it becomes a much easier thing to do throughout the day, 00:02:14.429 --> 00:02:15.901 align:middle line:90% whenever we need it. 00:02:15.901 --> 00:02:18.278 align:middle line:84% There are also a number of cognitive practices 00:02:18.278 --> 00:02:21.615 align:middle line:84% as well, such as acceptance, letting go, 00:02:21.615 --> 00:02:24.743 align:middle line:84% learning to focus on the present, these kinds of things. 00:02:24.743 --> 00:02:26.781 align:middle line:84% And we'll be exploring some of these.