Practical tips for using mindfulness in general practice

In a recent BJGP Viewpoint article1 we discussed how both GPs and their patients have become more open to the prospect of using mindfulness meditation as a mainstream medical intervention. Mindfulness derives from Buddhist practice and is described as the process of developing an open and unbroken awareness of present-moment cognitive-effective and sensory experience.2 Following on from our previous article, here we provide seven practical tips for the effective use of mindfulness techniques in a general practice setting. ### Use meditative anchors The majority of clinically focused mindfulness programmes begin by instructing patients how to use a meditative anchor. The most commonly taught meditative anchor is that of observing one’s breath. Full awareness of the in-breath and out-breath helps patients to ‘tie their mind’ to the present moment and to regulate thought rumination. For patients with concentration deficits, instructing them to count their breath (that is, from one to ten and then back down to one) is normally beneficial. Similarly, some patients find it easier if they are guided using simple and gently spoken phrases such as ‘ breathing in, I am fully aware of my in-breath ’ and ‘ breathing out, I am fully aware of my out-breath ’. Other examples are ‘ breathing in, I am here; breathing out, I am now ’ and ‘ breathing in, there is nowhere I need to be; breathing out, I am already home ’. ### Don’t force the breath When using breath awareness as a meditative anchor, it …