Episode 60 The magic of mindfulness: Simple steps to improve your life with Janis Cohen and Chris McDonald

How can mindfulness reduce stress and chronic pain? Can practicing mindfulness create a connection between success in life and physical health and wellbeing? Do you find yourself reacting to life mindlessly instead of pausing and reflecting mindfully?

MEET JANIS COHEN

Janis R. Cohen, LCSW, is internationally known as The Intuitive Therapist. She has worked with children, adults, couples, and families for almost three decades. Janis combines her extensive clinical expertise with psychic and intuitive gifts of clairvoyance, empathy, and mediumship. She uses this unique skill set to get to the root of a challenge with razor-sharp accuracy and to offer specific and effective strategies to resolve her client's problems.

In addition, Janis offers Intuitive Therapeutic Psychic Readings to people who want clarity and direction for their most pressing issues around money, love, relationships, and health as well as connecting them with loved ones who have crossed over.

Janis has authored articles in PINK Magazine, Associated Press, and has published her own columns in local newspapers such as The Jewish Times, Aquarius Magazine, and Conscious Living Magazine. Her podcast, The Intuitive Therapist, merges therapy with intuition, spirituality, and metaphysics.

Visit Janis Cohen's website and connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

IN THIS PODCAST:

• Chris' definition of mindfulness 06:22
• Why you should consider incorporating mindfulness into your life 07:22
• Mindset 10:38
• Non-judgmental awareness 33:34

Chris' definition of mindfulness [Mindfulness] is being present in your mind, body, and spirit. Right here, right now, and not getting caught up in the past [or future]. (Chris McDonald)

Mindfulness is finding the equilibrium, the balance, between the mind, body, and spirit in the present moment.

Often anxiety is characterized as being stuck in the future and depression as being stuck in the past.

Therefore, mindfulness – when practiced correctly – can help people to find a place of rest and peace in the now.

Why you should consider incorporating mindfulness into your life

You become less reactive to life and more proactive, and responsive. You retain your agency and peace of mind instead of reacting from a place of unknowing, frustration, or powerlessness.

This ability to "make space" between what happened and how you react to it can help you to develop healthy coping mechanisms, and minimize:

- Anxiety

- Anger

- Stress

Mindset

By practicing mindfulness, you are focusing more on "being", and you have to match your mindset to create this state of awareness and appreciation.

Mindfulness and mindset go hand in hand. You can enter into an appreciative, present, and focused mindset to help you practice mindfulness.

If a thought comes up, you notice it, and come back to your breathing and activity … acknowledge the thoughts that come up, we all have the monkey-mind, but then do that [without] beating yourself up, and just come back to what you were doing or come back to your breath. (Chris McDonald)

You can wash the dishes mindfully, you can cook dinner, pack your lunch, and go for a walk mindfully.

Non-judgmental awareness Non-judgmental awareness is what mindfulness is about, and non-judgmental means that you are simply noticing and observing. [Your] critical mind does not have a place at this table. (Janis Cohen)

Practicing mindfulness is, firstly, to be aware of what you are doing and experiencing, and secondly, not to place judgments on the things that you are doing or experiencing.

If your judgmental mind comes up, acknowledge it, and then come back to a sensation in the body to ground you.

In this way, your breath is a powerful mindful tool that you can use to refocus on the present, on the body, and on sensation. Be intentional to choose what you think.

Connect With Me

Download the Free guide: How to build confidence and competence bringing yoga into the therapy room

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Explore the Yoga Basics for Therapists course—designed to help you confidently and ethically integrate yoga into therapy

Yoga Basics: The Therapist's Guide to Integrating Trauma-Informed Yoga into Sessions

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