Law enforcement professionals experience more far more stress than the general population. They see and hear things others could never imagine, having to force their feelings down as they go on to their next call where someone new also needs them to be at their best. Additionally, they work while others are sleeping, which means they are often fatigued while dealing with all of that stress.
Mindfulness meditation has been proven to be effective in helping to reduce stress. Per the Mayo Clinic, “Mindfulness meditation is a type of meditation in which you focus on being intensely aware of what you’re sensing and feeling in the moment, without interpretation or judgment. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.”
Per the WRKwell website, a good resource for information on mindfulness meditation:
Yoga Nidra is an ancient yoga practice developed as a series of mindful meditation techniques structured in such a way to bring our brainwaves from beta in the awake state, to alpha and theta as we begin to fall asleep, and deeper into low theta and delta beyond dream and deep sleep, into the subconscious and unconscious where both brain and body naturally reach their highest restorative state. By combining mindfulness-based techniques with the modern understanding of our autonomic nervous system, we are able to utilize the practice of Yoga Nidra to develop a more resilient brain and better manage our life stressors as they manifest in both our personal and professional lives.
ALL levels: Yoga Nidra is accessible to everyone regardless of age, physical shape or fitness level. All you need to do is finding a comfortable position either on your back, on your side or seated with back support and listen to the instructor’s voice.
Props that may be helpful for a more relaxed practice are: yoga mat, blanket, wearing loose or comfortable clothes (sweats are great), socks, and anything you may need to keep yourself warm and cozy as your body temperature may drop during Yoga Nidra.
Click here to find out more about mindfulness meditation and have access to free audio exercise sessions of varying lengths as well as directions for yoga exercises that help relax stress. WRKwell also has five-minute sessions available for those who are short on time.
WRKwell is a stress management consulting company based in Virginia that offers yoga and mindful meditation techniques and specializes in providing coaching and training to public safety professionals. They are also able to provide some services to public safety officers outside of the state of Virginia. When beginning a mindfulness meditation program in your own locality, it is important to find an experienced professional who knows how to work with people who are experiencing chronic stress or traumatic stress symptoms and understands possible triggers so that the program will be safe, effective, and appropriate for all participants, including officers who have previously experienced trauma.
Find out more at https://www.wrkwell.org/free-resources
