November/December 2017 AsiaSpa 61close nexus to early stages of mindfulness
meditation. Eastern martial arts have long
taken advantage of combining absolute
concentration of physical movement to train
the mind to streamline thoughts.
Mindfulness does more than just
improve focus. A 2012 study in the Journal
of Occupational Health Psychology
found employees who participated in a
‘Mindfulness at Work’ programme showed
marked improvements in performance. It
can also enhance emotional well-being, as
evidenced by a Johns Hopkins Universitythe television). Our biological composition
means we tend to focus on the immediate
task at hand.
Men have their own set of complications.
We tend to have more pent-up issues due
to societal expectations of masculinity,
exacerbated by and often confused with
machismo. According to Sebastian Droesler,
counselling psychologist, mindfulness
trainer and life coach, this confusion
can oftentimes lead to damaging habits
including distractions such as games and
silly competitions, and numb-seeking
behaviour, such as alcohol, drug abuse
and meaningless sex. To avoid this, men
need to maintain focus and attention, while
increasing awareness.
“We need both!” says Hong Kong-based
Droesler. “Focus alone will not help you
in the long run. You can be an excellent
sniper, but get killed by the enemy sneaking
up behind you. Or in Hong Kong terms,
you can be single-handedly operating your
business, but if you can’t anticipate your
wife’s needs, you will suffer my friend. We
all have been there and felt inadequate in
the relationships where it matters most.”
Mindfulness meditation is traditionally
practised in a seated position, in peace
and quiet. But in this modern age, how
can we just focus? According to Droesler,
men already do to a certain extent. “You
can practise mindfulness while moving.
Mindful walking meditations are great ways
to develop skills,” says Droesler.
SEEKING CENTREDNESS
Have you ever gone for a solo run and found
yourself completely void of thoughts and
in the zone? Or perhaps bench-pressing
at the gym, and intently focused on the
contractions in your chest muscles with each
lift? Those moments of clarity when you focus
on nothing else but the task at hand are a
Men need to
maintain focus and
attention, while
increasing awareness
School of Medicine study in 2014 which
demonstrated that 30 minutes of mindful
meditation a day appeared to alleviate
anxiety and depression symptoms as
effectively as antidepressants.
The male tendency towards emotion
avoidance often leads to bottling up fears
and agitation. Mindfulness allows us to
become more aware of them, which helps
develop stronger emotional intelligence
through understanding our own triggers,
while better understanding the needs of
others. This often translates in the home,
where we learn to empathise more with our
partners. Persistent mindfulness practice can
therefore lead to better relationships – in and
out of the bedroom!
As with anything in life you can be
mindful or mindless about it. Perhaps it
is time we confront and acknowledge the
distractions of our modern lives, and learn
to find our centre.DIVERSITY PEOPLE EXERCISE CLASS RELAX CONCEPT/THINKSTOCK