Learn 3 mindfulness exercises you can guide yourself through.
Guided practices are great and may be a good fit for when you are starting out or want another person to facilitate your mindfulness journey. There are also times when you want to be more in control of your own mindfulness practice and in those times it can be helpful to know an exercise or two that you can guide yourself through.
Here you will find a few simple mindfulness exercises that you can use wherever. Well almost; don’t put yourself in harm’s way by trying to close your eyes while you’re driving or other precarious scenarios. Each example exercise can be done in 5 minutes or less but don’t worry, you can lengthen the exercise if you want since you are the one guiding yourself.
Here are 3 mindfulness exercises you can guide yourself through:
Mindfulness with just the breath
- Breathe: Breath is at the core of every mindfulness technique. To learn more about why that is click here. Now is your chance to pause.
Take a moment and stop what you are doing.
Set everything down, mute all the interruptions and let yourself slow down.
Now that you’ve quieted the external distractions, take a deep breath in through the nose, use your mouth if sinuses and a stuffy nose are an issue currently, then slowly let it out through the mouth, like you are taking a big long sigh.
Repeat at least 5 times.
When to use this exercise?
This exercise is great because you can literally do it wherever you are; in a meeting, at your desk and around others. Not that you need to hide it, it’s likely a good reminder for everyone you are around to take a moment but, for those times you want this pause to be just for you, it can be.
Mindfulness with breath and movement
- Breath and movement: This pairing helps you use up some of the energy that you have while still giving you a focus on mindfulness. Don’t worry- you don’t need a gym, or to enjoy running, for this exercise.
When you are ready to start this exercise you are going to breathe in and out through the nose or mouth. With each inhale you are going to take a step or tap your foot on the ground, almost like you are trying to keep beat with your breath. On the exhale you will take a step or tap with the other foot. If your mind needs more to focus on then count as well. It will look something like this:
- Inhale- Right foot tap-1
- Exhale-Left foot tap- 2
- Inhale-Right foot tap-3
- Exhale-Left foot tap-4
Keep going all the way up to 10. Once you reach 10 start over or count down from 10.
When to use this exercise?
This exercise is great for when you are feeling more anxious, have some adrenaline coursing through your veins or when your mind is particularly loud. It will allow you to slow things down at a pace that works for where you are at.
Mindfulness with touch
- Kind touch: There is a reason that physical contact is a big part of almost every greeting around the world. Physical touch is a very powerful tool and when done respectfully it can be comforting and healing.
For this exercise find a kind touch that resonates with you. I suggest both hands over the heart, a soft caress on the face with the hand- personally I prefer the back of the hand or fingers, or an actual self hug.
With each touch whisper a comforting word to yourself. For example: It will be okay. You can cry, I’m here for you. Mistakes happen, I’ve got you.
When to use this exercise?
This exercise is great for when you are needing comfort, a warm embrace and to give yourself more compassion and grace. It is also subtle enough that you can do it just about anywhere.
It is normal to feel lost and become overwhelmed with how many mindfulness options there are. So when you find yourself wanting and/or needing a mindfulness break it is helpful to be able to guide yourself because you are the one who knows best what you need and for how long you need it. Remember that you are in control of how and when you practice mindfulness and with the examples above you now have several techniques at your fingertips.
I look forward to hearing from you and hope this helps you as you take your own powerful and transformative journey. Per usual take what fits for you, leave what does not, and join me next time. Until then let’s stay social 🙂
