{"id":58749,"date":"2017-05-23T11:15:43","date_gmt":"2017-05-23T15:15:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=58749"},"modified":"2017-05-24T11:59:17","modified_gmt":"2017-05-24T15:59:17","slug":"mirror-meditation-self-esteem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/lifestyle\/mirror-meditation-self-esteem\/","title":{"rendered":"The Daily Meditation You Can Do in Front of a Mirror"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"How
Photo: Twenty20<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mindfulness meditation, walking meditation, forest bathing<\/a> \u2014 these days there are endless ways to get your zen fix. The latest? Mirror meditation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s right, the new way to reduce stress<\/a> and anxiety<\/a> is to stare at your reflection in a mirror. But don\u2019t worry: This isn\u2019t a competition to determine who\u2019s the fairest of them all. It\u2019s a practice designed to develop self-compassion.<\/p>\n

We talked to the founder of the practice, Tara Well<\/a>, PhD, professor of psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University, to get a behind-the-scenes look at why you should make time to self-reflect \u2014 literally! Here\u2019s what you need to know for your first mirror meditation session.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Blissful Meditation Studios to Stop and Feel the Zen<\/a><\/p>\n

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s be honest. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with the mirror. You can\u2019t help but stare when you catch a glimpse of your reflection. But look too long and it can be uncomfortable to hold your own gaze. And it\u2019s often easy to fall down the rabbit hole of self-criticism and comparison. A wrinkle (or six) here. Too many freckles there.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how Well used to feel. \u201cAs a teenager, I learned to become more critical of my appearance and not wanting to look in the mirror,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe use mirrors for social grooming rituals like fixing our hair or make-up,\u201d says Well. And when you do that day-in, day-out, it becomes habitual, which can promote self-criticism. \u201cThen, we tend to look past ourselves, not at how we\u2019re feeling. Or we don\u2019t see ourselves as people but more as objects that need to look a certain way to get approval,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>7 Trainer Quotes That Will Instantly Boost Your Confidence<\/a><\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t until Well was conducting a Skype session with a coaching client that she realized the potential transformative power of reflecting on your own image.<\/p>\n

When she asked her client to look at herself in the camera and express a difficult realization, she says something clicked for her and<\/em> her client. Then, Well experimented with mirror meditation on a trip. \u201cWhen I came home, people noticed how different I was,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause we grow up being taught that we need to look a certain way, somehow we became separated from how we feel inside,\u201d she says. \u201cThe mirror gives you a glimpse of what\u2019s happening inside.\u201d<\/p>\n

RELATED:<\/strong> 7 Products to Make Your Home Instantly Zen<\/a><\/p>\n

Mirror Meditation: Just Look Into Your Eyes<\/h2>\n

A mirror meditation practice is as simple as it sounds. Find a quiet spot and sit comfortably with a mirror propped up in front of you. Observe yourself for 10 minutes…and that\u2019s it. (Of course, if 10 minutes seems like forever, start with three to five minutes and go from there.)<\/p>\n

Unlike traditional meditation practices<\/a>, you don\u2019t use a mantra<\/a> or special breathing technique. Your gaze becomes the focus of your practice. \u201cThe mirror creates a focal point and a tool for people to track their attention. It makes it much easier to come back to your center by using this tool,\u201d says Well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe goal is to be with yourself without an agenda and be open to whatever comes. There\u2019s no way to get it right or wrong,\u201d says Well. \u201cJust come with the intention to be kind to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mirror meditation lets you actually look into the eye of the person receiving your critical thoughts<\/a> \u2014 in this case, you. But the key is to recognize your negative thoughts, then pause, breathe and return to your gaze.<\/p>\n

Through the daily practice, you become more familiar with your own appearance and notice your critical thoughts. \u201cWhatever thoughts in your head that are normally in the background come to the foreground,\u201d says Well. \u201cThe mirror hasn\u2019t created these self-judgments but it\u2019s reflecting them back to you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some people find the experience intense. Others discover things that they didn\u2019t know before. Well recommends the practice to anyone interested in personal growth or looking to change up their typical mindfulness rituals. Keep in mind, Well notes, that if you get super down on yourself, then it\u2019s time to step away from the mirror for a while.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>5 Ways to Banish Negative Self-Talk for Good<\/a><\/p>\n

Behind the Looking Glass<\/h3>\n

Well believes that the interest and power of mirror meditation is due to the fact that our culture is so starved for attention that goes beyond surface level. Take the rise of selfies and other narcissistic behavior, for instance. \u201cThe reason that\u2019s so prevalent is because people aren\u2019t being seen authentically by each other,\u201d she says. \u201cMirror meditation is the opposite of that. It allows you to look deeply. And when you are able to give that attention to yourself, you\u2019re able to give kindness and compassion to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her studies, Well found that those who practiced mirror meditation for 10 minutes a day reported significant decrease in stress<\/a>, anxiety and depression accompanied by an increase in self-compassion. She found that women in the study started to focus less on appearance and more on how they were feeling. In turn, this lead to self-reliance and a better connection with themselves. \u201cThen, you choose relationships with people based less on how they can affirm you or not affirm you, but who authentically gets you,\u201d says Well.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Is a Lack of Self-Awareness Keeping You From Happiness?<\/a><\/p>\n

It can also be a tool to learn to regulate your emotions, which we often hide or ignore in our daily lives. \u201cDoing mirror meditation, you\u2019re more aware of your emotions and take responsibility for your emotions. You go into situations more aware of how you\u2019re feeling,\u201d says Well. \u201cIf you ignore when you\u2019re angry or afraid and move forward with those negative emotions, they can leak out in ways that create problems for you and the people around you.\u201d<\/p>\n

So next time you\u2019re feeling overwhelmed with emotion or just need a mental break, head to the bathroom, pull out a mirror and just take a few minutes to self-reflect. You might be surprised at what you see.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The latest trend in mindfulness, mirror meditation calls for looking at yourself beyond the surface. Learn how to make the most of some self-reflection. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":58753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,12,15],"tags":[134,187,173,229,282,341,376],"class_list":["post-58749","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","category-mental-health","category-stress","tag-body-image","tag-happiness","tag-meditation","tag-mindfulness","tag-stress","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2psychology"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58749","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/41"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=58749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=58749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=58749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=58749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}