The Power of Practicing Mindfulness: Releasing No Longer What Serves Me

July 7, 2025

"Release what no longer serves your growth"

I am so excited about this month's blog topic: MINDFULNESS! Mindfulness has changed my life tremendously in a positive way and I can't wait to share some of the aspects of my life. These blogs will have a different feel than my normal blogs because they will be more personally centered. Those who know me, know that I love to write and research. It's a passion of mine. With this month's blogs, there will be personal experiences shared and less research. Although research will be included.

What Does Mindfulness Mean to Me?

If you are new to mindfulness and don't have understanding of it, you may be wondering exactly what it means. There is many misconceptions surrounding mindfulness, and if you are not opened to understanding, you can fall into the traps of misunderstandings. Many people believe that practicing mindfulness is participating in evil rituals. Well that belief is subjective because it all depends on your belief system. Therefore, mindfulness will hold different perspective for different individuals depending on their belief system. Personally, my belief is rooted in the Trinity....the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I am not here to tell you what your belief system should be nor will I ever tell you. That is for your discernment only. I will respect you as long as you respect me.

"Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes."

Ok, so how do I personally define mindfulness? Mindfulness is when we are mindful by examining ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). Once again, this is my belief system and I am not imposing it on anyone. Just giving reference to MY definition of mindfulness. I believe this verse ask us to examine oursekves and our faith. It's asking to us to evaulate and self-reflect our spiritual mind. This is part of MY definition for mindfulness. Ephesians 4:43 NLT states "Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes." and I believe this asking us to transform our thoughts and attitudes allowing the Universe, the Most High, to align us and renew our minds. I don't believe it's about changing mere opinions, but a continuous renewing of the mind by the Most High (or your belief system) to align with His will. Once again, let me reinterate. I am only speaking on behalf of my belief system and by no means am I trying to force my beleif system on anyone else.

Let's talk about the science behind mindfulness. This is where a little bit or research comes into play. There are several reports that link mindfulness with improving cognitive function, reducing stress, anxeity and depression. Research suggests mindfulness can reduce blood pressure, enhance sleep quality, strengthen the immune system, and alleviate chronic pain, and boosts mental clarity & focus. Practicing mindfulness promotes better attention control, enhanced working memory, and slower cognitive aging  Research also suggest that mindfulness heightens emotional resilience & self-regulation. It fosters non-judgmental awareness, aiding emotional regulation, decentering from painful thoughts, and increasing psychological flexibility Mindfulness can also enhance relationships by encouraging empathy and presence, thereby improving communication, relationship satisfaction, and overall social well-being.

I can't speak for others, but I can testify to many of those benefits of mindfulness. Speaking from my belief system, I have developed a closer, personal relationship with the Most High. I seek Him out in ways that I never once seeked Him out before. There was a time that I thought I could do it all on my own and seeking out His guidance was a last minute resort. Now His guidance is the first thing that I turned to because of my practice in mindfulness.

At its core, mindfulness is the practice of purposefully paying attention to the present moment, non-judgmentally. It means being fully aware of your thoughts, sensations, feelings, and surroundings, without attaching to them or pushing them away.

Dr. Jon Kabat‑Zinn, the pioneer behind the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program, described it as “the awareness that arises from paying attention on purpose in the present moment and nonjudgmentally."

One may ask, how did I becoming interested in practicing mindfulness? I will not go into detail in this blog. I may share details when it falls upon me to do so. However, the short answer is my life got flipped upside down in 2016 when by oldest brother passed away suddenly. It wasn't anything that we were prepared for and it took us all by surprised. That was once of the greatest hurts I have ever felt and I was at a very low point. An extremely low point. If it wasn't for the Most High and allowing Him to work with my emotions and thoughts, I don't know where I would be today. Now it has been a journey. I'm not saying that it was simply me being intentional about my thoughts; although, being intentioal played a major role. It was a combination of many things and the Most High using other people (therapists, doctors, and counselors) on my behalf. However, mindfulness played a major role it all and I am in an amazing space today because of it.

Ways to Practice Mindfulness

You may be wondering what are some ways to practice mindfulness. Honestly, there are many techniques that can be used in the practice of mindfulness. I use several techniques and they are all rooted in my communication and personal relationship with the Most High. I will share my top 4 techniques below and they can be practiced with any belief system. It is all up to YOUR discernment.

Mindful Breathing:

Breathing is a natural part of life. We have to breathe to live. Mindful breathing is being intentional on the breaths that we take. It promotes relaxation, helps reduce stress, and guide emotional regulation.

Sit comfortably and focus on your breath. Observe the inhales and exhales. When your mind wanders, gently bring attention back to the breath.

Body Scan Meditation

I suffer from chronic back pain and vertigo. I use body scan meditation to help understand where I am feeling my pain. I use to help make sure there isn't anything unusual happening in my body. Body scanning if just accessing your body for pain, tension, or anything out of the ordinary (healthline.com)

Lie down or sit quietly, and slowly bring awareness to each part of your body, noticing sensations without judgment.

Mindful Walking

 

We walk to travel from place to place. Mindful walking is simply that with being intentional with our steps. Mindful walking enhancing clarity, reduces stress, and beneftis overall phsical health. When I walk mindfully, I intentionally focus on my surroundings. I examine nature. I often talk with the Most High and ask Him questions. I am very aware of my pace.

Basically, walk slowly, focusing on each step and the sensations in your feet. Focus on your enviroment and connect with it.

Journaling

This is my absolute favorite technique. I could write an entire blog on the benefits of journaling. As a matter of fact, I think I just might do that in the future. Personally, journaling is great for my emotional regulation. Whenever I am feeling overwhelmed or emotionally drained, journaling always help bring me back into alignment. It's one of my favorite things to do. I am writer and love to write so it only makes sense for me to take advantage of this technique. Mindful journaling helps you stay focused with the present moment, invites clarity, and guides emotional regulation.

It's so simple! Don't make it difficult. You can free write. Write whatever comes to your mind. It doesn't even have to make sense. It's between you and the paper. You can keep a gratitude journal and write down all the things that you are grateful within that moment. You can keep a daily jourhal that will allow you to track your personal growth. It truly is simple.

Why These Work

A little piece of research to share. Brief daily practice is powerful. A study of over 1,200 adults found just 10 minutes/day improved depression by 19%, anxiety by 13%, well‑being by ~7%, and health behaviors by 6–7%. Mindfulness interventions like MBSR and MBCT are shown to reduce relapse in depression, enhance coping with chronic illness, and modulate brain regions tied to emotion regulation. Research is also showing that there are some neuroplastic benefits. Evidence includes increased gray matter volume, improvements in cortical thickness, and more effective neural connectivity in emotion and attention areas.

"Move with intention. Live with mindfulness. Choose with wisdom. The life you dream of is built on the steps you take today."

I could go on and on for days about mindfulness. I am looking forward to sharing more blogs on differest aspects of the topic this month. I really enjoyed sharing my personal experienes with everyone in this blog. The was a blog that I truly was excited about writing and publishing. I hope it has found you with great intentions and care. Remember, mindfulness is more than a technique. It’s a gateway to living with greater presence, compassion, and resilience. Whether through just a few deep breaths in the morning or a mindful walk at sunset, each moment offers the chance to return home to ourselves. I'll end with this quote "Move with intention. Live with mindfulness. Choose with wisdom. The life you dream of is built on the steps you take today." Daphne Oh

-Daphne Oh

Kay Bea Presents

"Same World, Different Perspective

References

1. NIH (2021, June 1). Mindfulness for Your Health. NIH News In Health. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2021/06/mindfulness-your-health

   
   

2. Staff (2024, August 23). Just ten minutes of mindfulness daily boosts wellbeing and fights depression – study reveals. University of Southampton. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.southampton.ac.uk/psychology/news/2024/08/just-ten-minutes-of-mindfulness-daily-boosts-wellbeing-and-fights-depression-study-reveals.page 

   
   

3. Staff, M. (2022, August 31). The Science of Mindfulness. Mindful.org. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.mindful.org/the-science-of-mindfulness/

   
   

4. Mass General Brigham McLean (2025, March 30). Serenity Now: Everything You Need To Know About Mindfulness. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/mindfulness

   
   

5. American Psychological Association (2019, December 30). Mindfulness meditation. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.apa.org/topics/mindfulness/meditation

   
   

6. Clinic Staff, M. (2022, October 11). Mindfulness exercises. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/mindfulness-exercises/art-20046356

   
   

7. Mindfulness-based stress reduction. (2025, June 9). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness-based_stress_reduction

   
   

8. Green, R. (2023, May 5). Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn: Bringing Mindfulness to the Mainstream. Verywellmind. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.verywellmind.com/jon-kabat-zinn-bringing-mindfulness-mainstream-7377237

   
   

9. Reypole, C. (2020, March 26). How to Do a Body Scan Meditation (and Why You Should). Healthline. Retrieved July 7, 2025, from https://www.healthline.com/health/body-scan-meditation#takeaway