Three Mindfulness Practices to Incorporate Into Your Everyday Routine
- Mindful Activity: The rules are simple here—practice presence in the moment. To do this, first choose an activity to do and notice the wandering mind at play. Take a few moments to redirect attention, tuning into your senses. If you choose going for a walk as the activity, notice the changes in light and shadows, gradients of color in the sky and leaves, as you walk. Tune into the sound of the breeze, the warmth of the sun, the taste of the coffee or tea you may be carrying with you, the smell of the flowers and grass.
- Breathing Practices: Find a space free from distraction and either sit in a chair or on the floor, turning your focus on breathing. Simply notice the breath entering your body and being released, without trying to change it in any way. Practice not judging your thoughts, but seeing them like clouds passing through the sky. If thoughts remain present, acknowledge what you are feeling and when it passes, return your attention to breathing. Practice this for 5-15 minutes each day or throughout the day.
- Body Scan: To practice a body scan, take time and space alone in a dark room either sitting or lying down and close your eyes. Pay attention to sensations throughout your whole body. Where are you holding tension? The goal is not to relax the body, but to acknowledge its sensations. Begin by paying attention to sensations in your feet. Slowly move up your body: calves, thighs, pelvis, belly, chest, back, shoulders, arms, hands, feet, neck and the crown of your head. Practice tuning in from the crown of your head back to your feet, being present with the sensations throughout your body.
Everyday is a new opportunity to be present.