What is Mindfulness?

You are probably familiar with mindfulness meditation practices in the form of formal sessions, but there is also a multitude of informal practices. It is in our daily lives that the practice of mindfulness takes on its full dimension.

To practice mindfulness, the best place is here and the best time is now. Here are some meditation and mindfulness exercises by Yogilab.

Mindfulness plays an essential role in Buddhism, as it is a form of wisdom inspired by meditation. It consists in paying attention to the present moment through our sensations, without changing them, judging them, or trying to fight them off. More than that, it is observing and accepting without intervening to live fully “here and now”. But mindfulness is not only applicable to meditation. It can be practiced at any time and is very important in our daily lives. In fact, it is a tool that helps us to take a step back from outside events, to sharpen our concentration and creativity, to improve our relationship with others, and to make us stronger in the face of life’s uncertainties. In short, a mindfulness exercise provides prodigious well-being on the body and mind and contributes largely to eradicate our stress and our dark thoughts. Here are some powerful mindfulness techniques that anyone can do anytime and from anywhere.

For mindfulness meditation exercises, it is advisable to settle down in a quiet place where the ambient temperature is pleasant and where nothing or nobody can disturb you during your session. Sit with your back straight, in a lotus position, or cross-legged, and close your eyes. Relax your muscles and breathe calmly.

Mindfulness is about living in the present moment. So here, there is no question of trying to clear your mind. Instead, take in everything that is offered to you and witness your thoughts, even the darkest ones.

Don’t judge yourself, don’t feel guilty, just listen to yourself and your surroundings. Focus on your breathing, your emotions, the chirping of a bird, the sound of the rain on the tile. And if your mind wanders, refocus on the “here and now”.

Follow Yogilab for more meditation exercises, mindfulness exercises for anxiety, and more.

When we walk, we don’t pay attention to our feet, our body sway, our pace. With mindfulness, walking takes on a whole new dimension. Go wherever you want. A beach, a country road, an alley in the middle of town. And while walking, focus on your feet, your toes, your arch. Then your legs, your hips, your bust, your arms, your chest, your neck, your shoulders, your head.

Observe your gait, the rhythm of your steps, the direction of your gaze. And experiment fully the sensations that it gives you.

Eating mindfully means taking the time to savor the present moment. If you want to relax, especially at mealtime, give up the sandwiches between two meetings and the snacks swallowed in your car, which will inevitably create distress in your stomach and feed your tensed feeling.

Are you hungry? Great. It’s time to sit down at a table, even if time is running out. Your work chores can wait a few minutes. Order what you like and eat mindfully. This will allow you to decode the signs of satiety and above all to give yourself a real, much-needed break.

Start by exploring what’s on your plate. Appreciate the colors, smell the odors, notice the presentation. Then, in small bites, savor the food. Take the time to chew to reveal in your mouth, on your tongue, your palate, the exquisite taste of food.

Let’s bet that every morning you drink the same coffee, in the same place, at the same time, before going to your office, without once looking at what’s around you!

What if for a change you took your eyes off your cup and your smartphone for a few minutes? Focus for example on the park that is just across the street and look at it with full awareness. Observe the children playing in the sandbox. Or their moms watching over their offspring while chatting with their friends. Or even that little boy struggling with his shoelaces. Or that leafy tree that lets the sunlight in on the grass.

Stop on details that arouse your curiosity, breathe, and be fully present to what’s unfolding in front of your eyes.

To listen is to hear what others are saying… But are we really listening? When we are in a state of exhaustion, tension, and anxiety, we don’t really pay attention to the words (or the pains) that are being transmitted to us. We are so self-focused on our own discomfort that we pay distracted attention to those who speak to us. Listen with full awareness. Not only will you be a full participant in the exchange and have your say, but you will also let go of your own torments for a moment and live in the present moment once again.

Listening to others is also listening to yourself. It is to create a link, to surround ourselves with kindness, to assert ourselves. It means respecting those around us as we should respect ourselves. It means opening up to others and being receptive. It is granting ourselves the right to exist or to be in relation to others.

The way we breathe reflects our emotions and our physical health. Very often, it evolves without our knowledge according to the rhythm of the day: wide and calm when we are relaxed, fast and jerky when we are stressed or angry. Although it is considered natural, breathing is very often overlooked. Yet it is essential to work on and improve your breathing process not only to control your state but also to make it more efficient by respecting natural energetic and physiological principles.

Taking the time to breathe can change everything. Conscious breathing is a deep relaxation exercise, which can be practiced in a personal or spiritual development context. It is simple to implement in daily life. A few minutes are enough!

Most of us do not breathe with the diaphragm but inhale from the chest in a short, irregular pattern. The problem is that when we are stressed or anxious, we don’t get enough oxygen into our lungs, which makes us more stressed and out of breath. By practicing abdominal breathing, we can get more oxygen into our lungs. If you are feeling stressed, take a few minutes to do this exercise:

Sit with your back straight and place one hand on your chest and the other on your stomach.

Breathe in through your nose. The hand on your stomach will rise and the one on your chest will hardly move.

Now exhale through your mouth slowly, letting as much air out as possible while contracting your abdominal muscles. The hand on your stomach will move as you breathe out, while the other hand will stay almost still.

Count how long it takes to inhale and exhale. If your inhale is different from your exhale, adjust the shorter breath to the longer breath. So if the inhale is at 4 and the exhale is at 5, we lengthen the inhale to 5. This breath stabilizes and grounds us in the here and now, helping us to calm down and find balance.

To begin, we proceed as we would in the uniform breathing. We measure the length of the inhalation and exhalation. This time, however, we try to make the exhalation longer, increasingly longer, and eventually twice as long as the inhalation. This breath activates the parasympathetic nervous system, is very calming, and is recommended before bed.

It is called like this because the breath is divided into 4 phases: inhale, hold, exhale, hold. Try to make all the phases equal. You can start by counting to 4, and then try to increase the time. This breathing helps when you are very nervous, it lowers your blood pressure and calms you down.

Heart coherence is also a breathing exercise. It is a personal practice for managing emotions and stress. The autonomic nervous system is divided between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic, which promotes rest, repair, and recovery. Health is a balance between the two. By breathing six times a minute, one then reaches a state of balance of cardiac coherence.

Cardiac coherence consists of a five-second repetition of the breath. This technique can be followed 3 times a day, at a rate of 6 breaths per minute, for 5 minutes. This is called the “365”.

The simplest activity that we recommend starting any exercise with. Put on your observer’s hat and simply check in with your breath today. How it makes you feel, what sensations it creates in your body. Is it smooth or is it jerky? Observe it without judging it. This observation can show you what kind of breathing exercise you need. If your breath feels nervous and choppy, it is a good idea to do a relaxing exercise. If it feels very long and steady, do an energizing exercise. You can even choose to do mindfulness activities for adults, and use breathing and full presence for enhancing your sex life.

Meditation & Mindfulness Exercises with Yogilab

The hustle and bustle, the noise, and the multitude of responsibilities that surround us often cause us to distance ourselves from the present moment and ultimately from reality. If we are constantly running on autopilot, our awareness of the things that are most important to us will be miserable. If we become more aware that each moment is unique, we don’t have to keep searching for happiness. Mindfulness is a way of not letting life rush past us, but actually living it. Ready to start practicing and be fully present? Join us on our personal development journey and dive deep into meditation and mindfulness exercises.