I spoke at an event last week about balance and the steps I take to create it in my own life. The story I shared was very personal and touched on how important it is to listen to your “whole” self. I was asked a question during the final Q&A that I’d like to revisit. You know when you’re feeling a little nervous and later think of a million other ways you could have said something? Yeah…drives me crazy.

The question was, “How do you practice mindfulness?”

Photo courtesy of http://www.enthusiasticbuddhist.com/

Mindfulness is the “intentional, accepting and non-judgmental focus of one’s attention on the emotions, thoughts and sensations occurring in the present moment.”

I can’t remember where I pulled that definition from but it’s my favorite. When we are mindful, we are present. We aren’t holding on to the past or tied up by the future. We are connected to and giving our whole self the attention it needs and deserves.

Mindfulness was introduced to me by my therapist. She suggested I read “The Mindful Way through Anxiety” by Susan M. Orsillo, PhD and Lizabeth Roemer, PhD. I’ve referenced this book in an earlier post and continue to recommend it to friends and family who are struggling with anxiety.

As described in the above text, there are many ways one can incorporate a mindfulness practice into his/her daily life. The following two exercises are what work for me.

Formal - The Mindfulness of Breath Exercise

This formal practice can be difficult, at first, because sitting still is often challenging, especially in moments of anxiousness or discomfort.



How I do it: I set a timer for myself when I was first learning this exercise so that I wouldn’t blow it off. It requires a lot of self-compassion and patience. The text recommends sitting for 5 minutes to start but don’t feel bad if you can only stand to do it for 1-2 minutes for awhile. I gradually increased my time as my mind and body adjusted to the exercise.



1. Close yours eyes or allow your gaze to rest softly on a spot on the floor in front of you.



2. Notice where you feel the breath in your body and allow your attention to rest in this spot. It may be in your belly, the back of your throat, or your nostrils.

3. Keep your focus on your breath, “being with” each in breath for its full duration and with each out breath for its full duration. It may be helpful to imagine you are riding the waves of your own breathing.

4. Each time you notice that your mind has wandered off the breath, gently bring your attention back to the place you feel your breath and the feeling of each in-and-out breath.

5. Each time your mind wanders (which may be a lot), all you need to do is gently bring it back to your break, again and again and again.

6. If you notice thoughts that you aren’t doing this right or that you aren’t good at it, just notice them and again gently bring your attention back to your breath, again and again. These are just thoughts; they don’t mean you aren’t doing it right. Be kind to yourself throughout this exercise. (P. 86)

Informal Practice

“Informal mindfulness practice involves purposely bringing your attention to an everyday life activity.” I do this when I’m on the bus, as I eat dinner, while showering, when I prep my morning smoothie ingredients or virtually anything else! The busiest of people can perform this practice; it requires no additional time. “Informal mindfulness involves approaching a task that is common and mundane with the curiosity of someone who is doing it for the very first time (instead of mindlessly multitasking).” (P. 119)



How I do it: So instead of just throwing fruit into a blender, I notice how the cold water feels on my hands as I wash the fruit. I listen to the sound the knife makes against the cutting board. I smell the sweetness of the almond milk as I pour it over my ingredients. And just by bringing awareness to my body, a task I would normally rush my way through becomes special and meaningful.

