Mindfulness Stretching is a somatic practice which gets practitioner’s “out of their head and into their body”. The practice generates sensations in the body with the mind focused firmly on these sensations. It is highly accessible for a busy / vigilant / frantic mind, as it deliberately immediately draws the practitioner’s attention onto immediately tangible bodily sensations, thereby distracting from one’s usual internal dialogue.
An example: a student arrived at class one day extremely distressed after their claustrophobia had been triggered when the lift door had stuck. They were deep in panic attack. They were able to over ride the panic and return to safety by bringing their attention into their body and following the practice.
Deliberately following sensations within the body while undertaking the practice actively captures one’s attention. This is extremely effective in ‘overwriting’ the mental internal dialogue, taking away from ruminating on negative thoughts and memories.
The movement of sensation within the participant’s body as described by the instructor becomes a “bright shiny thing” that one’s attention can follow, the movement captivating the participant’s attention.