3 Go To Mindfulness Practices
My 3 Go To Mindfulness Practices
Establishing a mindfulness practice can seem like a daunting thing, particularly in the modern world where we are constantly bombarded with distractions and depleted of our energy by things that does not bring us joy.
I know somedays I can find myself "going through the motions" of checking social media, flicking through TV apps for another show to binge, scoffing down my meals in minutes and getting to the end of my day thinking "how did the day disappear already".
When I notice myself slipping into these habits again I make a conscious choice to reengage with my mindfulness practices and I tend to find myself gravitating towards the three practices. I am so happy to be able to share these with you.
Each one of these will allows you to drop back into your body, get your mind into the present moment and leave you feeling happier and recharged. One of the things I love about all three of these practices is that as a busy mum with a small business I can always find time for at least one of them. The added bonus is I can include my son in a lot of it too and while he doesn't actively participate in the mindfulness yet he certainly likes a good dance around the living room.
I hope you find these practices helpful and would love to hear how you go. Just reply to one of the emails I have sent you to connect with me.
1. Mindful movement
You may like to set up a yoga mat or do this on a softer surface / rug / grass in case you end up on the floor at some point. Begin either sitting or standing comfortably and close your eyes (provided that is comfortable to you). Feel deeply into your body and ask yourself the following:
How does my body feel?
Where in my body do I feel energy?
Where in my body do I feel tired?
Am I hurting somewhere?
Am I stiff and tight? If so, where?
Am I feeling loose and vibrant? If so, where?
Am I feeling strong?
Once you have answered these questions (these are just examples, feel free to make up your own questions) begin to move your body in any way that feels good to you.
That may be to stretch if you are feeling tight, but make sure to do this in a way that is gentle and honors how you answered your questions. You may like to turn on some fun music and let your body move to the beat if you are feeling energized, or perhaps you are tired but you know that dance gives you energy.
Go for it.
But...
...don’t move because I am telling you to! Only move if you feel called to do so.
Remember the act of lying down is a movement and if you feel your body needs rest then indulge in reduced movement. The point to this practice is to honor your body and how it is feeling in this particular moment.
Practicing this often will help you to listen to the intuition stored in your body and allow you to give it what it needs in the present moment, not what is on the workout calendar or “to do” list. If you choose to practice this every day over the course of a week you will notice that the movement you are drawn to each day will differ to the last, your practice may become shorter or longer, more vigorous or less so. There is no right answer here all you must do is listen and honor.
Still not sure what how to move? Here are some ideas:
Yoga
Stretching
Dance (any tempo, no “right” moves no rhythm needed)
Walking
Jogging
Running
Jumping
Skipping (I challenge you to keep a straight face while skipping)
Boxing (when I feel anger physically manifest in my body and boxing is amazing for this)
Stretching
Dance (any tempo, no “right” moves no rhythm needed)
Walking
Jogging
Running
Jumping
Skipping (I challenge you to keep a straight face while skipping)
Boxing (when I feel anger physically manifest in my body and boxing is amazing for this)
Deep relaxation
Again there is no right way to do this just listen to your intuition.
2. Mindfulness in Nature
Okay so this one you might be thinking, “yeah right Ashley, how do I do that when I am stuck in an office all day?”.
Well this one is probably the simplest of my practices. When I say connect with nature this can take on any form at all, from a long leisurely walk along a nature trail or the beach to simply feeling the sun on your skin. The point is just get outside for at least a few minutes and experience nature in the moment. And yes you can do this one in the middle of a bustling city if you need to.
In its simplest form:
Find a comfortable place to sit outside, preferably somewhere you are comfortable closing your eyes for a moment, if not take your gaze to the ground.
As you close your eyes, take a deep breath and ask yourself what you can feel, smell, hear, even taste that is from the nature around you.
Can you feel the warm sun on your skin?
Feel it and stay with it for a moment, appreciate it. Can you feel a breeze?
Is it warm or cool?
Sit with that. Can you smell sweet nectar from a nearby flower?
Focus on that and what emotions it brings up for you. What can you hear?
A bird, the wind, waves crashing, someone walking across crisp leaves.
While this last one can be particularly difficult in a city challenge your mind to push past the sounds of traffic, busied people and the hum of machinery. What can you hear past that? Pick out each sound and absorb it.
When you feel you are done, take some deep controlled breaths and let the last breath out with an audible “sigh”. Return to your day knowing that you have taken a small moment to yourself and to appreciate your surroundings. Though this practice you will find that your mind will not be able to wander very far when you have to concentrate on your non-sight senses therefore allowing you to immerse yourself in the present moment.
3. A Mindful Sense
In this practice you will choose a sense to work with, you can change this up over the course of a week to find your favorite.
Pick one of your senses: Sight, Sound, Taste, Smell or Touch. Find something that will indulge your chosen sense, this will be something different for everyone but I will list some suggestions at the end.
Find a comfortable place to sit, try to limit the use of your other senses (dim lighting, turn of noise or go somewhere quiet, etc) but do not try to tune them out completely. Our senses work together and you will find you can not limit yourself to one but this is a practice of bringing your attention to a point and noticing what happens.
Take a deep slow breath, let it out with a sigh and allow your body to relax, shoulders should drop away from the ears. Slowly begin to experience your chosen indulgence, consider each aspect of it as it begins to ignite your chosen sense, notice what other sense it may ignite along the way and allow your mind to pay that some attention, then bring it back again to the initial sense.
Spend a few minutes exploring your indulgence and notice if it generates any emotion or takes your mind to somewhere else, does it bring forth a memory or are you just experiencing it in its purest form. When you are ready take one final cleansing breath in and let it go with a sigh.
Some ideas for this task:
Sight – watch a sunset/sunrise, watch an animal go about its tasks, watch the waves crash on the beach, watch the trees blowing in the wind, watch cars on a street far below perform a dance amongst the buildings
Sound – listen to a piece of music (classical/orchestral music is very emotive and allows you to focus in on each instrument well), listen to waves on a beach, wind in the trees, birds singing, windchimes.
Taste – drink a cup of tea or coffee, glass of wine, taste chocolate or something else you love to eat
Smell –burn incense, diffuse essential oil, smell flowers or freshly cut grass, crush fresh herbs in your hand, smell your baby or a loved one (maybe even your partners perfume or aftershave if they aren’t around), smell something cooking or baking.
Touch – find something you love the feel of, a furry blanket, your dog or cat, a smooth surface. Get someone to give you some touch, ask your partner to lightly touch your arm or give you a massage, take turns.
