3 Mindfulness Meditation Techniques for Daily Stress Reduction

Many people seek solutions for their over-stimulated minds, which cause undue stress, impact mental health negatively, and result in a diminished quality of life. In recent years, the concept of "mindfulness meditation" has gained traction as a supposed panacea offering calmness and tranquillity. However, with over 15 years of experience in teaching these concepts, I can attest that this popular solution is fundamentally flawed.

Not only is it academically incorrect to merge the terms — mindfulness is not meditation — but their objectives diverge significantly from mere ‘calmness’ which is often promised as the goal. Mindfulness is about fully experiencing and being present in the moment, whereas meditation involves quieting the mind’s instabilities to access intuition deliberately. Through proper practice of these techniques, not only can one achieve mental clarity and focus but also manage stress and attain a superior state of mental wellbeing. Let us delve deeper into why these terms should remain distinct and how their correct application can profoundly benefit your life.

The Common Misunderstanding

The rise of "mindfulness meditation" as a popular term is a peculiar anomaly, stemming largely from superficial online resources and clever marketing rather than genuine expertise. This conflation of two separate practices—mindfulness (dháraná, or mental concentration) necessary for achieving the state of meditation (dhyána) — creates a ‘Frankenstein’ that often results in mere relaxation, not the transformative clarity, resilience, focus, and concentration that true practitioners achieve.

By engaging with the accurate, millenary history and techniques of these practices, you will not only enhance your daily life but also develop an instant "BS" filter, enabling you to evaluate the quality of related discussions and avoid the pitfalls of clever, misleading marketing.

It is also important to note that there is nothing wrong with relaxing and removing the tensions we all experience day to day. There are powerful techniques which can achieve superb results in this field also within the DeRose Method, but our focus here is to educate rather than ‘sell’. We want our students to have the knowledge and to have the experience so they can develop their own critical sense and be protected against quacks who have a good marketing process.

What is mindfulness?

The best definition for mindfulness is “to be here, now”. Mindfulness is the skill to maintain your attention, your concentration, and your focus on everything you do the moment you are doing it. The term mindfulness was first used in the West in the 1970s with the objective of using this technique to help to manage stress. However, the origin of this concept is from over 5000 years ago and it was originally called dháraná. This is a Sanskrit term that means mental concentration. 

The idea of this technique is that by engaging your mind to enter a state of concentration, initially on an ‘object’ – such as your senses, or your breathing, or another – and then on the moment you are existing, allowing you to become present in the present, or to be here, now. 

This technique is a necessary first step for meditation. Mental concentration is necessary to stop the instabilities of your mind and achieve higher states of consciousness. 

What is meditation?

Comparatively, if a student wants to meditate they will begin selecting a different type of object and they will retain their focus not on the moment they are experiencing but rather on the object itself until it saturates the mind allowing it to stop and reveals a higher state of consciousness. 

I can understand that for a layman this may seem similar, however, when you get down to doing these techniques you will observe a marked difference illustrating that those who talk about ‘mindfulness meditations’ are ill informed and lack the experience of doing these techniques in earnest. 

A True Mindfulness Technique for Stress Reduction and Mental Clarity 

Alright, now that you know more about these concepts we can actually get down to true mindfulness techniques which we have been teaching for over 60 years in the DeRose Method. 

Firstly, it is important to note the nature of stress. Stress and pressure arise when there is a gap between your perceived challenge and your perceived skills. If you would like to explore more about these concepts read these blog posts: 

If we are going to combat stress we need a technique which can reset the perceptions of the challenge and of your skills. In order for us to achieve this reset the easiest process is to clear your mind from the noise and pollution accumulated over time so that you can view these elements from a new perspective in which your skills are a great match for your challenges.

Today I am going to explore one way to achieve this state, but I would recommend you try other techniques outlined here (Ultimate guide). Use the one which is easiest for you for now. Later, we can train your ability to both, be able to do any technique as well as being able to achieve the results with much greater speed.  

Entry:

Abdominal breathing – Ideally you should lay down, but you can also sit in a comfortable position, avoid doing this exercise while standing. I recommend that you close your eyes to avoid further distractions. Begin by taking a few deep, pleasurable, and silent breaths, always using your nostrils to inhale and exhale. Notice that as you inhale, your abdomen expands, and as you exhale, it contracts. Aim to make this diaphragmatic movement more conscious. Once you are fully aware of it and feel you have mastered it, you can perform the exercise while sitting. Take your time to execute several breathing cycles: when you inhale, project your abdomen outwards and when you exhale contract your abdomen inwards. Perform several of these breathing cycles, focusing intently on the exercise.

Utilisation: 

1. After a few cycles you may begin to notice some interesting experiences. You may notice scents and perfumes more clearly, even those which are rather distant from you. You may notice that your mind has quietened and you are now able to keep feeling all details of your breathing process without distractions. 
2. At this point it is time to focus your concentrated mind onto the task at hand: observe the challenges which you currently face and evaluate if these tasks are really as difficult as you imagined when your mind was at a different state. With a clear mind you may notice that challenges are no longer as daunting.
3. Next, I would like you to evaluate your own skillset as well as the support you are able to count on to accomplish your challenge. You may find that  your skills are much greater and that under the vision of a clear mind you feel the confidence, strength and power to tackle any challenge. The result: your levels of stress will lower or diminish altogether. 

If you do not have a lot of time this technique can take as little as a minute, or it can take longer if you wish or you can. Once you feel you have a clearer picture, return from the technique and I suggest that you immediately, while your mind is fresh and still quiet, write down a plan to tackle your challenge. This should help to keep you grounded and avoid stress creeping back. 

Maybe the entry into the state of mindfulness was not ideal for you, so here are another two options which can help you to enter the state of dháraná, you can continue to use the utilisation in exactly the same way. 

Entry 2:

Concentrate on what you hear: sitting down in a comfortable position, close your eyes and aim to hear all the sounds around you. Hear the sounds of nature and the sounds of civilisation alike, such as of a construction, of a river, of helicopters, of cars, of people talking, of children laughing, of ferry boats. Pay attention to what you can hear. Identify what is closer and what is further away. 

Entry 3:

Concentrate on the air around you: take a moment to find a quiet place or use headphones to reduce external noises. Sit in a comfortable position and close your eyes, I recommend that you rest your hands one over the other. For the ladies, place the back of your left hand over the palm of your right and rest the back of your right hand on your lap. For the gents, place the back of your right hand over the palm of your left and rest the back of your left hand on your lap. Take a slow deep breath, hold the air in your lungs for a moment and when you exhale try to exhale as slowly as humanly possible. Do a few of these cycles and, every time you exhale, bring your attention to your skin and the touch of the air on your skin. Attempt to feel the temperature of the air, even through your clothes. Feel the clothes touching your skin. After a few cycles you should be ready for the utilisation above. 

Conclusion

Understanding and practising these authentic techniques provides the benefits many mistakenly seek from "mindfulness meditation" and much more. The DeRose Method offers a clear, empowered path to not only manage daily stress but to enhance your overall mental and physical wellbeing. Join us to discover how authentic, profound practices can significantly transform your modern life.