Mindfulness has many benefits; it helps you to live every moment of the day in all its potential and cope with anxiety, releasing the stress that may appear throughout the day. This meditation technique gives you the ability to bring your attention to the experiences in the present moment, accepting them without judgment.
Basic principles of mindfulness
The first of them, as we mentioned before, is Attention to the present moment: it consists of focusing on the present moment, instead of being drifted to the past (rumination) or the future (expectations, fears, and desires).
The second is Acceptance and not judging thoughts, feelings, and events of everyday life. That is, if a negative thought arrives in our mind involuntarily, we must let it pass and we simply observe it and not get involved with it.
The third is acknowledging that everything is Temporary; mindfulness will help you not get caught up in any thought, feeling, sensation, or desire. It allows you to see the facts from a decentralized perspective as temporary mental events since all situations are not permanent and clinging to the expired can only cause us new suffering or increase the one that already exists.
7 mindfulness exercises
Mindfulness exercises consist of an attitude towards your life, rather than a set of techniques. Because it helps focus on the present moment so you can connect with your inner self and with the actions that are taking place around you.
With the implementation of these 7 exercises, you will be able to be more aware of what is happening in the present moment. The most important fact is that this practice does not require much time so you can practice it without much complication.
- Static meditation: This exercise can be done sitting in a chair or on the floor, as long as you keep your spine straight and this is a comfortable position. Then you must take your full attention and direct it towards your breathing. If any thoughts appear to try not to get stuck in them and stay focused only on your breathing.
- Attention to everyday life: This technique can be considered as the simplest of all. Because you should only pay attention to the present moment: wash the dishes, set the table, clean the house, etc … Put all the attention on the immediate experience so that it becomes a more lived experience.
- Walking meditation: This technique consists of paying attention to the walking experience. You walk without any purpose, taking advantage of any occasion in which you must walk and observe the sensations of the feet, legs, or body. Attention can also be incorporated into the breath process; the important thing is to be present at every step.
- Attentive review of the body: In this technique, you should focus sequentially on the various parts of the body while lying down with your eyes closed. You must observe the sensations; connect with each area, without judging and accepting the unpleasant sensations that may appear.
- Hatha yoga: In this, you must perform different simple yoga postures to gain greater awareness of body sensations, including in it the technique of static meditation with a careful review of the body.
- Focus on your daily goals: At the beginning of the day, focus your attention on the goals you want to achieve today; it does not need to be many, it is better to focus your attention on two or three. The objectives can be of any type, work, personal, emotional,… focus all your attention on them.
Focus on your thoughts: This exercise helps you reduce the intensity in which we live, which frequently is almost machine-like and sometimes we forget our goals and emotions. With this exercise, the person must sit down and positively engage thoughts and begin to visualize the steps to achieve them.
