Headstrong challenge: week three
It’s week 3 of Headstrong and you’re half way through the challenge! We hope you’re starting to feel the benefits of taking time out for yourself each day. Mindfulness is one of the many techniques we can use to help us become more aware of our emotions, as well as other peoples.
This week, we’ll be combining what we’ve learnt about mindful breathing and body scanning with an introduction to the ‘raisin technique’. Yes, you did read that right! If you’re comfortable with the basics we’ve taught you, it’s time grab a raisin and let Alex Read, our Health and Wellbeing Programme Manager, talk you through the process.
Try to practice this for 10 minutes, three times a week for beginners (with the goal of reaching 20 or 30 minutes as you become comfortable with it).
What is the raisin technique?
According to Alex Read, Health and Wellbeing Programme Manager at AXA PPP healthcare:
"The raisin technique encourages mindful eating and teaches us to be in the moment, the here and now. It can also teach us to use ALL our senses to appreciate even very small or mundane things. We rarely experience food or drinks in this way in our busy lives."
We can use this exercise to be mindful whenever we eat or drink, just practice doing it over the next week and try to enjoy it.
Find a food
- To do this we will use a raisin, however you can use any simple piece of food. It needs to be fairly small and tasty.
Concentrate on your breathing and body scanning.
- As before, start by sitting and relaxing.
- Focus on your breathing for a minute until you are relaxed and breathing mindfully.
- Complete a 1–2 minute long body scan.
- Remember, if your mind wanders, gently bring it back to focus on your breathing.
Raisin technique
- Follow our step-by-step guide to mindful eating using the raisin technique –
