10 Quick Tips on Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that is quite easy to practice. It is all about knowing yourself and being aware of what is happening around. While practicing mindfulness, the person is supposed to forget about past and future and focus just on the present.

Why Should You Practice Mindfulness?

There are many reasons to practice mindfulness:

It is good for your body.

It is good for your mind.

It enhances your relationships.

It helps in increasing your focus.

It fosters compassion and altruism.

It helps in coping up with stress.

Apart from this, there are tons of other benefits of mindfulness. Hence, you should make it a point to spare at least 10 minutes each day for this practice. If you cannot spare these minutes in continuation then it is completely fine as you can practice mindful meditation in breaks as well.

If you are planning to have the practice of mindfulness in your schedule, here are 10 quick tips on mindfulness for you:

The Best Time for Mindfulness: The best time to practice mindfulness is right in the morning when you wake up and you’re done with your necessary daily activities. But if it is not possible for you then don’t worry because you can practice whenever you have free time like during the shower, during lunchtime, in between a meeting or some work, etc. You just have to feel the moment and forget your past and future. The Power of Group: When mindfulness is practiced alone, people are likely to get bored. This is why people often carry mindful meditation in a group. Also, when in a group, you can draw motivation from other people to practice in a better way. The Right Posture for Mindful Meditation: You do not necessarily have to sit on the floor in a cross-legged position in order to practice mindfulness. You can kneel down or sit on a chair as well. Whatever posture you choose, just make sure that you are comfortable in it. Also, ensure that you do not slouch. Keep your spine erect. Mindfulness is No Rocket Science: Many people do not think of making mindful meditation a part of their routine because they think it is too tough. Well, this is not really true. Mindful breathing, mindful appreciation, mindful listening, mindful awareness and mindful observation are pretty simple techniques. You just have to focus on the moment. Don’t give your Thoughts Special Attention: Your mind is a thought making machine. Thus, random thoughts will come in your mind every now and then, even when you are practicing mindfulness. However, your job is to let these thoughts pass by. Do not pay any attention to it. Just bring your mind back on track and focus on what you are doing. Count Your Breath: Decide the number of counts up to which you will breathe in and the number of counts for which you will breath out. For example, breathe in up to the count of 4 and then from a count of 5 to 12 breathe out slowly. This is certainly a mindful practice to overcome your worry. But at the same time, it will also lengthen your breath. Anchoring to Overcome Anger: Anger is a person’s biggest enemy and hence you should overcome it before it creates trouble for you. As soon as you get angry, divert your attention to the lower half of your body. Focus on your feet and realize how it feels inside your shoes or on the floor. Then begin to feel the sensations and so on. Practice Mindfulness when you are Tensed or Stressed: Mindfulness can prove to be the best medicine whenever you want to get a relief from your stress, worries, tension and the other negative thoughts. Just make yourself comfortable and bring your attention to the sensations in your body. Never give up the Practice: This is a very important thing about mindfulness. Once you start practicing it, make sure to continue it. You will only get better with regular practice. Savour Your Life: Do not rush with your life. Take it slow and relish every moment of it, just like you relish every bite of your food. Life is meant not just to be lived through but to feel and enjoy every moment as well.

You can basically practice mindfulness whenever you want. In between your activities, take a short break of 1 to 2 minutes, and start focusing on your breath. Make this a habit and you will soon begin to see positive results.

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Additional Resources:

Interested in learning more about mindfulness or meditation in general? Here are a few posts to get you started: