Mindfulness is a practice that has gained worldwide popularity due to its numerous benefits for mental and emotional health. Regardless of religious or philosophical beliefs, Mindfulness is a secular practice that can be easily integrated into any context of daily life.
Why not start practicing now? Here are 25 ways of practicing Mindfulness, ranging from formal and informal methods to simple but great changes in habits, demonstrating how mindfulness can be applied anywhere and at any time, promoting well-being and balance in everyday life.
Guided Meditation: There are apps or recordings for guided meditations that help focus the mind and relax the body. It helps if you're just starting out! Try meditating with Dani Wang at Spotify, Youtube or Insight Timer.
Sitting meditation: Dedicate 1 to 10 minutes a day to sitting in silence, concentrating mainly on your breathing. Try increasing the time gradually, ideally with a discipline of 20 minutes a day. For the more advanced, try 40 to 60 minutes a day.
Walking Meditation: Practicing Mindfulness while walking, paying attention to the sensations of your feet touching the ground and the movement of your body, exploring your perceptions. Ideal for the restless.
Body scanning: Develop body awareness by concentrating on each part of your body, noticing physical sensations, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. Listen to guided audio.
Conscious Breathing: Take a few moments during the day to focus on your breathing, feeling the air enter and leave your lungs and nostrils. Listen to the guided audio.
Loving Kindness Meditation: By taking the time to cultivate feelings of love and kindness for yourself and others, you develop compassion, one of the main pillars of Mindfulness. Try it with guided audio.
Mindful Eating: By eating with presence, slowing down, savoring each bite and paying attention to the textures and flavors of the food, the moment of eating becomes more nutritious and an active meditation. ( here is a link to the mindful eating experience )
Active Listening: Practice listening to others without interrupting, paying full attention to the words and emotions expressed, thus strengthening interpersonal bonds.
Conscious Daily Activities: Turn everyday tasks, such as washing dishes or taking a shower, into Mindfulness practices by simply being aware of sensations and movements.
Conscious stretching: You can make small body adjustments and stretches throughout the day, paying attention to the physical sensations in your posture and muscles. Notice if this reverberates in your mental and emotional state.
Emotional Check-in: Take regular breaks to check your emotions and thoughts, acknowledging and accepting them without judgment.
Mindfulness in Traffic: Time in traffic can be made gentler and more loving by practicing patience and conscious breathing.
Disconnect from technology: Use regular breaks from using technology to reconnect with yourself and your surroundings.
Conscious Nature: Enjoy time in nature, carefully observing the sounds, smells and sights around you. Try to discover new textures and nuances while contemplating nature, even if it is urban!
Daily affirmations: One suggestion is to repeat a phrase or affirmation as if it were a personal mantra throughout the day, helping you to remember this intention until you change your mindset, behaviors and habits. For example: "I can smile freely."
VisualizationThere are various visualization techniques for creating mental images of peace and tranquillity, you can use the one you most identify with. Start by connecting visually with something in your environment that brings you well-being and joy (e.g. a flower or the blue sky).
Mindfulness in Exercise: Integrate mindfulness into your physical exercises, focusing on posture, movements, breathing and the effort required. Notice if there are thoughts of resilience or wanting to give up.
Conscious Morning Rituals: Start the day with a morning routine that includes meditation, stretching and moments of silence.
Mindfulness at Work: Use Mindfulness techniques to improve concentration and stress management in the workplace. Try developing active listening, taking conscious breaks before answering an email or between meetings.
Pauses for Reflection: Take a few minutes during the day to stop and observe your thoughts and feelings. Are they healthy and do they bring good feelings?
Gratitude Diary: By writing every day about the things you are grateful for, you cultivate a positive and conscious attitude.
Conscious Music: Music can be explored consciously: paying attention to the melodies, rhythms and feelings it arouses. Look for sounds and lyrics that encourage a positive life.
Close reading: By practicing mindful reading, you can focus completely on the text and reflect on its meaning in a deeper way. Can you read the author's intentions, motivations and between the lines?
Cultivating a Beginner's Mind: This is one of the nine attitudes of Mindfulness: observe each activity as if it were the first time, cultivating curiosity and mindfulness at every moment.
Kum Nye conscious movement: Develop body, breathing and even energy awareness through well-known practices such as Yoga, Tai Chi Chuan, Qigong and Kum Nye. Seek proper guidance from a qualified instructor.
To carry out Mindfulness practices, whether formal or informal, requires some technical knowledge. Did you know that it takes a year for a Mindfulness instructor to become certified and qualified to teach you? Then they can guide you to more autonomy in your day and get measurable results from your practice. What I like most about it is that it is a secular practice, accessible to everyone, and can be adapted to any lifestyle and moment in your journey towards personal evolution.
By incorporating some of these ways of practicing Mindfulness into your routine, it will improve your mental and emotional health, as well as helping you to find more presence and balance as a whole in your process of self-knowledge.
At our Flow of Life school, we have various class formats, including international protocol programs and a daily practice club.
Read more here and allow yourself to experience this journey of self-discovery and transformation!
