Tamara Russell - Mindfulness in Motion: Unlock the Secrets of Mindfulness in Motion

mindfulness in motion

a happier, healthier life through body-centred meditation

Dr Tamara Russell

Welcome to Body in Mind Training a unique approach to mindfulness that uses the moving body as the primary learning tool. My intention in this book is to share with you the techniques I have discovered in the course of my own personal and professional journey toward a happier, healthier, more integrated self. My approach, which combines meditation with martial arts and neuroscience, is designed to be accessible to anyone, including those who struggle with traditional sitting meditation or who cant seem to find the time in their busy schedules to practise.

Take a minute to congratulate yourself on finding some time in your busy schedule to open this book. Now pause for a second, in this very moment, and simply breathe. What does your body really feel like? Where is your mind right now? Is your attention here in the present moment, or has it already wandered off somewhere, into the past or the future?

If youre anything like me, your mind is constantly active judging, comparing, planning, analysing, ruminating and remembering. We are so busy thinking, thinking, thinking all day long. We field and respond to endless emails, phone calls, obligations, responsibilities, fears, worries, to-do lists and chores. Even in our sleep, most of us dont really switch off.

All this is hardly surprising given the fast-paced technological world we now live in. Our overworked minds are constantly bombarded with distractions and stimuli at every turn. We dont know where to focus our attention first, as we rush from place to place and task to task. We keep thinking harder, in a desperate attempt to try to manage our brains overloaded inbox. There are simply never enough hours in the day to get everything done. Slow down? No way! In fact, for most of us, the very thought of slowing down is terrifying.

Yet the way we live comes at a huge cost, both to our bodies and our minds. We become disconnected and out of balance, and we lose sight of where we are heading. At worst, this results in mental and physical illness. At best, our life just flashes by in the blink of an eye, as we operate on a mindless autopilot, week inweek out. Before we know it, ten years have passed us by.

So what would it be like to have more time and space in your life for the things that really matter? How can you still your busy mind so you can see and think more clearly? Imagine living a life of ease and joy, no matter what challenges you encounter.

In your dreams, right? But what if I told you that this spaciousness and freedom really is possible for all of us? What if I told you it lies in your ability to connect more fully to the present moment; that it exists in a wonderful way of being that we call mindfulness?

I will guide you step by step through my Body in Mind Training (BMT) programme, a unique approach to secular mindfulness practice that uses the moving body as the main meditation tool. This pioneering approach has arisen from my unique perspective working not only as a published neuroscientist and practising clinical psychologist, but also as a mindfulness trainer; it is a culmination of decades of research, clinical study and practice, and mindfulness teaching, which has taken me across the globe.

Operating at the forefront of the disciplines of neuroscience, psychology and martial arts not just as an academic and clinician but also as a lecturer, trainer and practitioner has given me a huge advantage in the continually evolving field of secular mindfulness, and one for which I feel immensely privileged and grateful.

I hope that as I share some of my expertise and knowledge in this book, you too will be inspired to engage with your body and mind in a new and different way, one that will bring about the lasting changes you are seeking in your life. I will attempt to show you how, with a little focus, determination and practice, you too can experience the amazing benefits of mindfulness. All it takes on your part is the courage and curiosity to do something different a willingness to have a go.

This body-based brain-training technique uses mindful movement (moving meditation, in other words) to keep us anchored in the present moment. Central to BMT is the belief that the body and the mind are intimately connected.

T raditionally, in the West, body and mind have been viewed as separate entities. This perspective has been challenged in recent years, including by the emerging field of embodied cognitive neuroscience. (a fascinating concept we will explore in more detail later). This new scientific insight has far-reaching implications both for the development of medical science and for our general approach to wellbeing, not least the advancement of mindfulness theory and practice.

BMT involves paying full attention, moment by moment, to the sensations of the moving body, as a precursor to developing the ability to detect far subtler movements of the mind. The insights we gain as we observe our moving body enables us to see more clearly the origins of all our actions and reactions. With greater awareness, we can choose to act in ways that tap into our innate wisdom, rather than running our lives on autopilot.

The BMT message is a simple one: getting out of your head and into your body is the key to a happier, healthier life!

The BMT message is a simple one: getting out of your head and into your body is the key to a happier, healthier life. The problem for all of us today is that we are trying to solve most of lifes problems in our heads, using our thinking minds. But what if I were to tell you that the solution lies not so much in your head, but more in your body? Your body is talking to you all the time. But in order to hear it, you have to slow down and listen to its voice and this is the starting point for BMT mindfulness practice. I hope that my easy-to-follow and practical guide to mindful movement will give you all the tools you need to become more connected, Body in MInd.

Over the years, when discussing the BMT approach with friends, colleagues and clients, Ive noticed the first thing they say is, but isnt it body and mind? However, it is clear to me that it has to be body in mind, because body and mind are not separate, they operate as one.

For years, alongside my neuroscience studies, I trained in the martial art of Shaolin kung fu. When I reached the black belt level, I became really aware of just what I could achieve when training at the mind body interface. Training at this level is a way to engage with and challenge all those mental and emotional blocks that hold us back in life. Yet aspects of the physical training in martial arts can be punishing designed to break down the ego and bring the body right to the edge. It wasnt until a few years later, when I moved into internal martial arts, training in tai chi chuan, that I learned it is also possible to engage with the body and mind in a kinder, more compassionate way, and with far less chance of injury.