6 MINDFULNESS EXERCISES TO HELP WITH YOUR BUSY-NESS

6 MINDFULNESS EXERCISES TO HELP WITH YOUR BUSY-NESS

One of the biggest hurdles new practitioners face is the busy-ness of life. We all have the most wonderful intentions when we start out, we just forget that life at the moment is already pretty full….

Mingyur Rinpoche in his Youtube clip on Meditation highlights that we can meditate absolutely anywhere, anytime. It just takes one conscious breath.

Here some wonderful and simple tips/tools/techniques that you can use to bring some Mindfulness into your day without letting the world know what you are up to.

1) Mindful Breathing – Breath is a meditators tool kit. We carry it with us everywhere we go, and have instant access to it. The wonderful part about breath is that the sensations can easily be found and followed bringing us back to the present moment.

You don’t have to stop what you are doing, you just place some awareness on the breath. And just follow as many breaths as you would like. Every time you become distracted you just let go of the distraction (much harder when the distraction is leaning over you asking a question though) and come back to the breath.

2) Mindful Stroll – The next meeting you go too, the next time you go for lunch or a coffee break, to the printer or even to someones desk, just tell yourself I am going for a mindful stroll. As you go to stand up feel yourself seated in the chair.

Feel your feet on the floor and just follow the sensations of your body as you stand. Then just feel your feet with every step. Try and imagine that your feet are the conduits to release all your stress in each step.

For those that have practised 10 points, it is the same thing, every step you just imagine releasing all the tension in your body and your feet are the conduits for it. The tension or stress/anxiety just flows naturally into the floor beneath.

3) Mindful Coffee or Tea – The next time you have a coffee break spend a few moments listening to the kettle as it boils, feel the warmth and the see the steam. As you pour, just listen to the sounds and smells that arise as you do. Stir mindfully and then take a few mindful sips of your coffee. By mindful sips, you taste it, smell it, feel its warmth, watch your thoughts and how the coffee is making you feel.

Walk mindfully back to your desk.

4) Mindful Commute – Whether driving, walking, riding or going on the bus, spend a few moments being mindful. Every so often when you remember feel your hands on the steering wheel. notice what is around you, smell, feel, watch your thoughts. Use sound or breath/body as your anchor if you bet distracted.

Thich Nhat Hanh on his walks uses a wonderful and simple phrase, thank you, every time his feet touch the ground. You could use this or something else. Bringing all your awareness back to now.

5) Mindful Observation – Choose a natural object from within your immediate environment and focus on watching it for a minute or two. This could be a flower or an insect, or even the clouds or the moon.

Don’t do anything except notice the thing you are looking at. Simply relax into a harmony for as long as your concentration allows. Look at it as if you are seeing it for the first time. Visually explore every aspect of its formation. Allow yourself to be consumed by its presence. Allow yourself to connect with its energy and its role and purpose in the natural world.

6) Empowering thoughts – We just spend a few moments watching our breath, and then on the in breath we think something simple like, I am calm, and on the out breath you just say I am peaceful and repeat as many times as you would like. Use any phrases you would like, but keep them short and simple.

There are so many more. Just Keep it Simple. Keep it Enjoyable.

Have a beautiful day

Dan