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How to practice mindfulness.

Writer's picture: LauraLaura

Mindfulness is one of the most wonderful ways to reduce stress in your day to day life. Cheap and cheerful there's no special equipment needed to be able to enjoy this ancient practice. Simply the power of the mind, tapping into the breath, or grounding yourself in the present moment.


There are many fantastic ways to introduce mindfulness into your everyday life. One of these is movement meditation. This can include the obvious like yoga, which is designed to teach mindfulness techniques within a body strengthening/lengthening practice. But it can also include any physical activity that is repetitive and bring the mind's attention to the present moment. This can include walking, cycling, running, playing sports or pilates. A mixture of these activities will not only provide ample opportunity to tap into mindful presence, but also improve stamina and fitness. Making these activities more enjoyable and even easier to tap into that mindful element.


Another great mindful practice is to take up a hobby that involves repetitive movement and can be done alone. Crafty hobbies like knitting, painting, pottery throwing are all great options. Not only do you get to exercise the creative aspect of your mind but the process of creation is a great environment for mindfulness. These hobbies require concentration, asking you to live in the moment in order to create. There is no room for a wandering mind, if the mind starts to wander the activity can bring you back to the present moment.


Meditation is perhaps one of the best known techniques to tap into mindful presence. Dating back to the Upanishads, Dhyana - one of the eight limbs of yoga - is the first historical record of meditation. Meditation does not 'belong' to yoga however, countless cultures and religions across the world and throughout history have similar practices to Dhyana. Meditation's purpose is to calm the mind and train attention and awareness. Meditation has been said to improve pain tolerance, anxiety, depression, self-acceptance and improve general wellbeing. Meditation is simultaneously simpler and harder than most expect. The actual technique is fairly simple. Simply find a comfortable place to sit, close the eyes or take a soft gaze, focus on the body and breath, gently refocus the mind as it wanders and keep it short and sweet to begin with. The challenge comes within these simple steps. Not only does meditation reduce overthinking and calm the nervous system, it also helps identify stressors in your life and perhaps give you the space to find solutions or even find the inner strength to persevere. Meditation is a great mindfulness technique to connect to your inner self and slow down.


Pranayama, or breathing techniques, are a fantastic mindfulness exercise. Another of the eight limbs of yoga, pranayama teaches different breathing techniques for different effects. Centring pranayama include equal breath and Nadi Shodana Pranayama (alternate nostril breathing). Warming pranayama include Ujjayi Breath (ocean breath) and Kapalabhati (fire breath). Cooling pranayama include Sitali pranayama (also known as taco breath, due to the shape of the tongue). While all of these breathing techniques have different effects on the physiological body, it can also have effects on the mind. Focussing on the breath is one of the most powerful tools in mindfulness. An audible, tangible aspect of living that we can actively control if we so wish. By focusing on the journey of the breath, sensations, taste, smell, temperature etc... of the breath we can use the mind to tap into the present moment. The breath is constant, and pranayama provides intricate techniques that require full concentration in order to perform effectively.


There are many more mindfulness techniques to choose from and explore. One of the best things about mindfulness is the space for curiosity and play. Try different techniques to figure out which ones align with you and your unique mind and body. There's no right or wrong answer, only that which serves you.

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