It’s been scientifically proven after 8-weeks of practicing Mindfulness and Meditation it has an overall impact on our wellbeing, changing our brain shape and size.
You can practice Mindfulness anywhere and anytime. You don’t need a mantra or meditation pillow to practice Mindfulness, you can practice Mindfulness anywhere/anytime. Here are some simple Mindfulness Exercises you can practice throughout the day.
Cloud watch
Lay on the grass and watch the clouds and take deep breaths
Breathe in the colours of the rainbow
Take a deep breath for each colour of the rainbow, imagine you can see the rainbow in your head breathe in red and breathe out red, then breathe in orange and breathe out orange etc….
Trace your hand while focusing on your breath
Trace the outside of our hand with the index finger of the other hand. Taking a beautiful deep breath as you go up one side of a finger and then breath out as you come down the other side.
Say an affirmation while focusing on your breath
You could also say a positive affirmation while bringing your breath in through your feet and breathing out through your crown. Start your positive affirmation with ‘I am’… ‘I am strong’, ‘I am capable’, ‘I am kind’, ‘I am loved’, I am amazing’, ‘I am……’
The Eating Meditation
Will you be eating any food today? Thought so.
So you can practice a little mindfulness meditation while you eat.
When you take the first bite of any meal, just take a moment to really pay attention to the taste.
Look at the food carefully, feel the textures in your mouth, smell it, notice how your body reacts to it.
You don’t need to keep this up all the way through the meal, use it every now and then to focus your attention.
The Walking Meditation
If you do any period of undisturbed walking during the day — at least ten or fifteen minutes — then you can do a little walking mindfulness meditation.
It’ll be easiest if done somewhere with fewer distractions, but try it anywhere and see what happens.
At first, people often concentrate on the sensation of their feet touching the ground.
Then you could just as easily focus on your breath or move the attention around your body, part by part.
The key, though, is to develop a sort of relaxed attention. When your mind wanders away, bring it back gently, without judging yourself.
Mindful Mini-Break
Checking email has now become, for many, what we do in between other tasks, sometimes as a kind of break.
Change this. Instead, drop the email and practice one of the mindfulness exercises.
Turn away from the computer/tablet/smartphone and sit for a moment noticing the sensations in your mind and body.
How do you feel? What can you hear? Try to be as present in that moment.
If your mind wanders off to tasks that you have to complete or starts working over things that happened yesterday, let these go.
Gently bring your mind’s focus back to the present. Just be wherever you are for a few moments.
Remember: mindfulness is not about trying to make sense of anything, it’s about attention to that moment.
Listen Mindfully
Any time that’s convenient, try a little mindful listening.
We get used to a lot of the sounds that are around us and quickly tune them out.
If you live in the city, there might be police sirens, train announcements and people sneezing.
In the countryside there could be trees rustling, birds calling or a gate creaking.
What can you hear right now?
Or, put on some music and really listen to it for a short period: try to hear the music without thinking about it.
Try not to let your mind wander to things it reminds you of, to judgements about the music or think about the lyrics too much.
Just allow the music to flow over you and for you to flow into the music.
Mindful Brushing
Some things we do so often that we almost don’t notice them any more.
Habits, like brushing your teeth, are usually performed automatically, while the mind skips off to other plans, worries or regrets.
Instead, try to focus on that chore and really experience it. Notice how the brush moves over your teeth and the taste of the toothpaste.
Another routine that can incorporate mindfulness exercises is showering or bathing.
Let your senses feed on the process and bring your mind back when it wanders off to other worries or thoughts.
You can perform any chore mindfully and you might be surprised what you notice.
Just one Breath
At any time during the day, take a moment to focus on one breath.
Breathe in, then breathe out.
Focus your attention on how this feels, where you notice the air moving, how your chest and abdomen move.
Try it now.
You’re not looking for a revelation from this experience; think of it more like a little mental push-up for your mind.
That’s it, or if you want to extend it to a few more breaths, that’s fine.
Candle Meditation
Of all the mindfulness exercises, this requires a little preparation: you need a candle and a darkened room.
Sit for a while watching the candle and focusing on the flame (don’t sit too close).
You are not trying to stare it out or ‘think’ about the chemical reaction that is going on.
In fact, you are not ‘trying’ to do anything: it’s more that you are just noticing the candle in a simple, pure way.
Experience Nature
If your walking mindfulness exercises should happen to take you to a park or green space of some kind, then this is the perfect opportunity for a little more mindfulness meditation.
As you stand, sit or walk, try to become more aware of nature around you.
See the different types of leaves; hear the bird calls, the wind and the distant rumble of traffic; sense the air moving over your skin and sun heating your face.
Again, after a few moments, your mind may try to wander where it will.
Be kind to yourself: gently nudge your attention back to nature and your surroundings.
Many people do this naturally when they are in nature but do not necessarily label it as one of the mindfulness exercises.
It’s doesn’t matter what you call it, as long as your attention is focused on the present moment.
One Minute Exercise
Sit in front of the clock or watch that you can use to time the passing of one minute. Your task is to focus your entire attention on your breathing and nothing else – do this for the minute. Have a go – do it now!
De-Stressing Exercise
Bring yourself into the present by deliberately adopting an erect and straight posture.
Then ask yourself: “What is going on with me at the moment?”
You simply allow yourself to observe whatever happens. Label any thoughts that you have and then leave them alone….just be prepared to let them float away. Attend to your breathing or simply take in your surroundings instead.
Besides thoughts, there may be sounds you hear, bodily sensations that you are aware of. If you find yourself constantly elaborating on thoughts, rather than labelling them and returning to the neutral, remember to observe your breathing.
When emotions or memories of painful events occur, don’t allow yourself to become caught up by them.
Give them short labels such as “that’s a sad feeling”, “that’s an angry feeling” and then just allow them to drift or float away. These memories and feelings will gradually decrease in intensity and frequency.
More importantly, you will begin to identify yourself as an objective observer or witness rather than a person who is disturbed by these thoughts and feelings. This requires practice but can then be used when ever you are stressed.
If you wish to ask us any questions about Mindfulness or wish to find out about our One-Day Workshop exploring the power of Mindfulness, Meditation and Mindset, we would love to hear from you: