Mindful Breathing

This one of the essential parts of relaxation. The breathing has a great influence on how deep and great your relaxation will be. It can be done by standing or sitting down anywhere you want to. Here are the steps for mindful breathing:

1. Focus on your breathing. Breathe in and out slowly. One breathing cycle should last for at least 6 seconds. Take your time while breathing.
2. Breathe in through your nose then release the air through your mouth. Let the air effortlessly move in and out of your lungs.
3. Let go of your thoughts and whatever it is that might be bothering you. Focus your attention on the task on hand.
4. Watching your breathe can help you focus more. It brings a sense of awareness and it fills your body with it.
5. Feel the awareness all over your body and release the energy to the world.

Mindful Observation

The name itself defines this exercise. Feeling and observing the simple elements of your environment is also an act of relaxation. It is designed to connect us with the environment, especially nature, and attract its energy.

1. Scan your environment and choose one natural object for you to focus on. This can be a blooming flower or a tree that has falling leaves.
2. Focus on this object for a minute or two while relaxing. Watch every element of it and how nature is such a wonderful thing.
3. Allow yourself to be consumed by everything that you are seeing on the object and even its presence.
4. Feel its energy and allow it to overwhelm your body.

Mindful Listening

The ear is one of the most sensitive organs and is responsible for our sense of hearing. This exercise helps make use of our send of hearing and listed to sounds and music in a non-judgmental way. Sounds and music has its way of relieving the past which may often be sad or unbearable for some. In this exercise, we will ignore the turmoil in our head and focus on some neutral music that will enhance your awareness.

1. It helps if you close your eyes and wear earphones.
2. Pick a song randomly and listen to it as if it’s the first time you heard it. Allow yourself to get lost in the music and let your mind dance along its rhythm.
3. Fell deeper into it and listen to each of the sound that accompanies the music. Feel the energy and awareness as you intertwine your mind with the music in your ears.

Mindful Seeing

The eyes affect the way we see and visualize things. It is a great factor in attaining the relaxation and awareness that we want.  The eyes becomes a window to something more powerful.

1. Look for a space at your home where the window is overlooking the scenery outside.
2. Look at the birds flying, the clouds moving or just the grass dancing with the breeze of the air. Focus on how it looks and its contour of it. See the scene as if it’s the first time you saw it.
3. Observe the wonders of the scenery and do not be distracted. Pull yourself away from the thoughts that might be bothering you and bring yourself back to the state of mindfulness.

Tactile Exercise

This exercise can be done anywhere and does not require long amount of time. You just need to feel your body.

1. Pinch your arm or leg (not too much) or use a tip of a ballpen or cotton and stick it on your leg or arms.
2. Pay attention on the different sensation that will run through your body.
3. Absorb the emotions that you felt as you are applying pressure.
4. Allow this awareness to deal with the discomfort and the emotions that is caused by the unwanted sensation.

Sense of Smell Exercise

All five senses of the body have its way of transferring these sensations to the brain. Try smelling something strong like coffee beans or perfume. Allow yourself to savor the scent that you smell and feel the sensation as it goes through your nose.

Melting Exercise

This exercise is best done with breathing exercise, mindful seeing and mindful observation. This takes a lot of practice and focus but once you are able to do it. It will be an amazing state of mindfulness.

1. Pick your favorite place at home and take a seat.
2. Relax on your seat and allow yourself to melt into your surroundings softly.
3. Feel them as if you are one with everything that you see.

 Full Sensory Awareness Exercise

Stop. Breathe. Absorb. Overwhelm your body by using all your senses and let them fill you in. Let yourself be over-stimulated by these sensations and allow it to keep you in this state for quite a while. What are you feeling? How are you feeling?

Silence Exercise

Are you bothered by the things happening around you? Take a break for a minute. Spend a few minutes in complete silence. Deafening your ear from the hustle and bustle around you. This is very useful at work when you are so stressed and need some time for yourself. You might use an earplug if you are having a hard time focusing.

The “Me” Exercise

Have you ever tried focusing on yourself? Like, you alone and does not care about anything else? Become more aware of yourself by sitting down on your favorite space and talking to yourself. Start the sentences by saying “I”. Be self-centered as much as possible and feel the emotions as it overwhelms your body.

Challenge Your Belief Exercise

People are unique in their own way and so as their backgrounds. We are born in a culture where beliefs are passed down by our parents or grandparents where we tend to believe it and make it a part of us. Have you ever tried questioning these beliefs? Challenge yourself by disagreeing or questioning a belief that you believe in so much. Take it as an exercise and see how it makes you feel and how much it clears or gives your thought a benefit of the doubt.

The Mindful Plot Exercise

Are you a fan of movies? Has it ever occurred to you that when you are so engrossed in the movie that you can’t get over the plot you are already practicing mindfulness? Watch a movie you know that has a deep plot and let yourself get lost in the movie. Feel the different emotions that you have felt during the time you are watching.

Undivided Attention Exercise

Look at your surroundings. Think of a thing that you’ve never done before. Something that piques your interest. Take your time and gather your strength and motivation to start it. How does it feel to be doing something that you’ve never done before? Feel the emotions and sensations as it takes over your body. Give the activity your undivided attention and focus your energy in to finishing the task at hand.

Candle Staring Exercise

Have you ever tried looking at the flames of the candle after you lit it? Did you know it can also be used as a way of meditating? Get your favorite scented candle or whatever candle you have and focus your eyes on the dancing flame in front of you. Give it your full focus for about 10 minutes. Do it in between breaks from studying. When you feel like your mind is drifting away, pull it back and bring it to the candle flame again. Let your body relax and feel your body as you are watching it.

Walking Meditation

Find a time on your busy day to do a little walking. It may be the rooftop of your office or the nearby park. Anywhere that you can spend some time walking alone and undisturbed by anything. Give it at least 10 to 15 minutes of your time or more, if you can. It is much better if the place has fewer distractions so that you can put your focus on your walking. Feel every sensation as you alternately use your feet to walk. Focus on your breathing and bring your attention to every part of your body.

Eating Meditation

This one is something people rarely hear about. Everyday we satiate our hunger by feeding ourselves. Did you know that with a little practice, you can even do meditation while eating? If you find a time to eat alone, by yourself, bring your focus on what you are eating and how the taste, texture and smell of it makes you feel. You don’t need to do this until you finish your meal. A few bites are enough.

Mindful Break

Checking our cellphone every morning has become an unbreakable habit for everyone. We do it even between tasks. Take this challenge and try to break this habit of yours. Taking a break from this kind of habits is also a form of meditation. You are turning yourself away from the vices that you had. Notice how not holding on to your usual gadget will make you feel. Give it your undivided attention and focus on yourself.

Mindful Brushing

Everyday we do things out of habit. Like after waking up in the morning, you take a shower and go to work. Even brushing your teeth is part of it and we don’t really give it much thought when we are doing it. These things are performed automatically by our body that we rarely notice it. One day, try to focus on brushing your teeth after you shower. Enjoy the experience and notice how the brush runs through your teeth and even what the toothpaste really tastes like. Let your body use its senses and absorb the energy that it has emitted.

Raisin Meditation

Find a place where you are comfortable with. Make sure that it is quiet and has no distractions. Remove every distraction that you could possibly have around you. Lastly, have a box of raisins in hand as this will be the main ingredient of this mindfulness exercise.

1. Take a piece of a raisin and place it on the palm of your hand. Look at it for a moment as if you never knew what it was and it is the first time you will eat it. Touch it using the tip of your thumb and finger and feel its texture. Let the sensation flow through your body.
2. Now, look at the raisin carefully and be attentive to its details. Notice how the edges of the raisin look and how it casts a shadow on your palm.
3. Bring the raisin towards your nose and smell it. How does it smell? Is it good? Let your nose smell every inch of it and welcome the different scents.
4. Lastly, slowly take the raisin and put it on your tongue. Let it linger on there for a while and let the taste fill your taste buds. It is normal to find yourself salivating while you are doing this. Then slowly chew the raisin and feel how it bursts in your mouth.
5. Focus on chewing and feel the different textures that it has.  Before swallowing, notice how you are feeling right now and how the raisin affects you. Let it overwhelm your body and welcome it completely.
6. Once you are ready, swallow the raisin and observe any feelings, reactions, thoughts and emotions that you felt during the whole process. Bring this full awareness and take some time to sit and reminisce the sensations all over again.