More exercises for mindfulness

Throughout the day we have many opportunities to become aware of the present moment; with daily activities and specific exercises. Be it to start or end the day well. Be it to take a conscious halt during the day. Here are some exercises for mindfulness to help you.

Why practice mindfulness

Mindfulness has a number of benefits. First, it takes us out of the autopilot. When you feel like you are caught in a hamster wheel, it helps to become mindful of yourself and your surroundings.

The following exercises not only help you calm down in times of tension and stress. They not only help you calm your mind and regain concentration. With the continued practice of these and other mindfulness exercises you raise self-knowledge and self-awareness. You also increase your attention to your surroundings.

1. Exercises for mindfulness that calm you down

The following two breathing exercises can be very helpful when you feel nervous or stressed. They take just a few minutes and you can practice them anywhere.

It is about concentrating all our attention on the breath. With this we manage to calm the breath and, thus, calm down.

Hold the breath

For this exercise inhale normally, not very deeply. Then release as much air as you can. Now hold your breath until you really feel the need to breathe in again. Repeat the process at least five times.

Lateral breathing

For this exercise, first cover a nostril. Now slowly inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth ten times. Then cover the other side of your nose and repeat for another ten breaths. Feel the air entering and leaving your body.

If you still feel tense, repeat the exercise again with each side.

2. Exercises for mindfulness with your body

The following exercises will help you pay attention to your body. Often we let ourselves be so directed by our minds that we forget our body. But it is the vehicle that allows us to breathe and move. That is why our body deserves that we give it our attention.

The mountain

Stand up for this exercise. Place your feet at the width of your hip. Bend your knees slightly so they are not locked. The arms hang at either side of the body with palms facing inward. Now inhale and exhale several times to become aware of your breathing.

When exhaling tense the muscles of the pelvic floor putting it in slight anteversion. Notice how the sitting bones come together. This movement supports your spine.

Now inhale and exhale a few more times. Then, as you exhale, tense the abdominal muscles. Imagine that you want to bring the navel closer to the spine. At the same time extend the spinal column as if a thread pulled your crown upwards.

Continue to breathe in this position. Each time you exhale, bring the navel to the spine and extend the spine feeling how you grow.

Then rotate your shoulders back and forth several times. This way you release possible tensions in the upper body.

Keep breathing in the mountain pose several more times. Even imagine a mountain. Feel that you are as strong and calm as it is.

The starfish

We start this exercise with the mountain pose. That means we place our feet hip-width apart and leave our arms hanging at the sides.

Now move your toes and heels outward until the feet are parallel to each other, about 50 centimetres apart. As in the previous exercise, tighten the pelvic floor and extend the spine upwards.

Stay in this pose for a few breaths until you feel stable. Next, inhale and raise your arms to both sides in a cross. Maintain the tension on the pelvic floor and spine. Breathe in this pose three to five times. Then, on an exhalation, lower your arms.

Inhale and exhale and on the next inhalation raise your arms again. Keep the position again, breathing three to five times. I suggest you do at least three repetitions.

This exercise not only allows you to connect with your body. It also strengthens legs, arms, shoulders and back.

3. Exercises for mindfulness of your senses

The following two mindfulness exercises serve to connect with our senses and our surroundings. With the first one we use all our senses. With the second one we pay full attention to an object and learn to appreciate what surrounds us.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1

This exercise helps us become mindful of all our senses. To begin, inhale deeply. Now we will pay attention to different things that we perceive. You can make a mental note of them or name them out loud. Do not forget to continue breathing calmly during the exercise.

5 Look

Start by looking around you and take note of five things you see. A book, a table, a tree etc.

4 Feel

Now pay attention to your body. What do you feel? Name four things you notice. Maybe the contact of your feet with the ground. You may feel hot or cold. Pay attention to the sensations of your body.

3 Listen

Next, listen carefully. Name three sounds you perceive.

2 Smell

It is the turn of our sense of smell. What do you perceive? Name two things you smell. If you only detect one smell, change places or name a smell that you like.

1 Taste

Finally pay attention to the taste you have in your mouth. Name what you notice. The taste of something you have recently eaten or drunk? Maybe you still taste the toothpaste?

Be mindful of an object

For this exercise, choose an object. It may be something you have at home. If you are outdoors, choose an element of nature or another object in your surroundings.

Now look at this object very carefully. What is its composition, its structure, its shape? What colors, lines, corners or marks do you detect?

If it is an object you can hold in your hand, take it. Then rotate it and look at it from all angles. Note its weight and touch.

Enjoy these exercises for mindfulness

Did you know of any of these mindfulness exercises? Which one has attracted your attention the most? Which one are you going to try? Tell me how it went.

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