A new trend is sweeping urban centers like Los Angeles and New York, according to an article by China Daily. With meditation studios and medi meet-ups, it is becoming easier for people to unplug, meditate, and practice mindfulness movements.
According to meditation and mindfulness teachers, being mindful is staying connected to what is happening at present.
"You start to let go of all the accumulated stress and information. So it's not only a time to not ingest, it's a time to let the body go," said Emily Fletcher, a former Broadway actress who founded New York-based Ziva Meditation.
"We're just ingesting, ingesting information all day long," Fletcher added.
Experts and teachers also believe that mindfulness is one way to curb unhealthy eating habits.
Practitioners can participate even while performing the most mundane of everyday tasks, such as washing the dishes, going to work, or taking a bath. The key is to live in the moment and prevent one's mind from wandering elsewhere.
By focusing on the present moment, mindfulness provides an escape to today's fast-paced and modern world.
"We get caught in these spirals of addiction. You remain unfulfilled. That's why we seek more and more intensity and more and more stimulation in order to feel content and it never works," said Sharon Salzberg, a mediation teacher, in an interview with Associated Press.
Aside from being able to appreciate and live in the present moment, benefits of mindfulness include increased productivity. It also allows the brain to rest, according to experts.
Those who are interested in practicing mindfulness can start by downloading apps or watching online videos.
Experts warned, however, that doing a mindfulness exercise without proper instruction may feel forced.
"The more you push the mind, the more it will do the opposite," said Annelies Richmond, director of the Art of Living Foundation in New York. "When you just tell someone to just go close your eyes and meditate, it can become like a torture. There are a bunch of thoughts and you don't know what do to with them. Sometimes you feel more restless being aware of all those thoughts."