As we are about to enter a new year, some people have done their reflections and set their intentions, and may even have done a vision board to help them stay focused on their goals in 2020. One word that has been floating around is “mindfulness”.
Barbados TODAY had an exclusive interview with Randi-Mae Stanford-Leibold, author, speaker and mindfulness facilitator, to discuss mindfulness, meditation, yoga and its benefits, and whether it has a place in Christianity.
Noting that people get afraid of something “different”, Stanford-Leibold, who was one of the speakers at the recently held Mindful Living Barbados, explained that mindfulness is about using the breath as an invitation to be fully present.
“When we look at it this way, we can use these practices to be calm, to be still. It’s not just practice, it’s also science. In mindfulness, the goal is ‘can I use my breath to bring my mind to a place of calm; my body to a place of peace?’ The whole idea is ‘can I get my mind and my body to be in the same place at the same time?’”
She added that the basic tenet of mindfulness is getting people to slow down and enjoy the richness of their environment.
Citing Sara Lazar’s study, How Meditation Changes the Brain, Stanford-Leibold said the subjects had MRI scans of their brains before and after the study, and meditated 30 minutes daily for eight weeks. An increase was noted in the gray matter in several parts of their brains, such as the left hippocampus which assists in learning and memory and emotional regulation; and the temporo-parietal junction which deals with perspective taking and empathy and compassion.
“When we talk about mindfulness and meditation and Christianity, science is starting to catch up to it. This actually changes the physiology of the body and that’s part of the invitation I want to bring to the table. If people want to add their faith onto it, that’s wonderful. There’s a study that shows I can focus on my breathing but if I add a positive faith-based perspective on top of it, it still has positive benefits,” Stanford-Leibold explained.
“But if I just bring it down to the basics of focusing on my breathing, then I still have the physiological experience that enhances my sense of well-being. Why we introduced Mindful Living Barbados is…can we get people to use the environment because the environment also impacts your sense of well-being.”
Noting that there is a historical religious connection to meditation and yoga, Stanford-Leibold argued that science makes a strong case for the benefits of these practices. Specifically referencing the recent spate of violence in schools, she added that yoga makes children calmer and their brains can be reshaped when they practise breathing and meditating.
“The argument of Christianity and yoga is that there is science saying your whole body is changing. Does it challenge Christianity? I don’t think so. Because what we’re using is the same breath we’re all gifted with as an invitation to enhance your well-being to breathe deeply; to impact your nervous system.”
To further show that meditation, yoga and Christianity can coexist, Stanford-Leibold referenced Psalms 46:10 which states: “Be still and know that I am God.”
“In mindfulness and meditation, we talk about being still. In being still, this is an elaboration of that quote. The stillness comes from ‘can I sit with myself?’ And so when we talk about emptying the mind, you have to still the thoughts that are coming. Science tells us that every second the brain is receiving 11 million pieces of data, but with mindfulness I can start to notice those thoughts that are going to the future, to the past and I can bring them back to the present.”
The mindfulness expert admitted that one of the fears about yoga and meditation is what type of energy one may attract when emptying one’s mind.
“It’s not about what energies are coming into my space but can I allow myself to be with life in the present moment? And if I choose to be in Christianity, can I say that if I still myself and rebuke my ego and all these other things, can I allow myself to be with God if that’s my intention?”
Stanford-Leibold added that part of mindfulness is being in the present moment, non-judgmentally, with your full attention and intentions, and she pointed out that the concept expands on many of the principles of Christianity.
“If you talk about Christianity, there’s peace. It’s encouraging people to be peaceful. But mindfulness can teach you what the extension is. The Word might say ‘love your neighbour with compassion like yourself’, but mindfulness teaches you ‘how do I actually love somebody who is different from me?’ Christianity talks about the whole idea of loving your neighbour. I think that’s where mindfulness comes in. Every day can I meditate? Every day can I be in a state of peacefulness? Every day can I practise compassion and kindness for other people and not only for other people, but for myself? So mindfulness is more of a practice; it’s tangible.” (CJ)
