Mindful Practices
Mindfulness can be practiced in numerous ways.
You can introduce Mindfulness into
your personal practice and practice it with our child.
Mindful Breathing “
…the object of your mindfulness is your breath, and you just focus
your attention on it. Breathing in, this is my in-breath. Breathing out, this is my out-breath. When you do that, the mental discourse will stop. You don’t think anymore. You don’t have to make an effort to stop your thinking; you bring your attention to your in-breath and the mental discourse just stops. That is the miracle of the practice. You don’t think of the past anymore. You don’t think of the future. You don’t think of your projects, because you are focusing your attention, your mindfulness, on your breath.” (Hanh, nd)
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Mindful breathing can be done anywhere at any time.
Take 5: by inserting 5 minutes of mindful breathing throughout the day in a consistent manner; this can be done at school or at home.
Take 1: one minute of mindful breathing is also a breathing exercise that can be introduced throughout the day - especially before a test, a game, or simply to get a child to pay attention.
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Mindful Walking
“You don’t have to make any effort during walking meditation, because it is enjoyable. You are there, body and mind together. You are fully alive, fully present in the here and the now. With every step, you touch the wonders of life that are in you and around you. When you walk like that, every step brings healing. Every step brings peace and joy, because every step is a miracle”. (Hanh, nd)
Mindful Mini-Vacation
This mindful activity can be done by closing your eyes and visualizing a relaxation/vacation place (e.g. the woods, the beach, a lake, a snow-capped mountain, the dessert, a zen oasis…). It allows you to disconnect and relax in the place.
Loving-Kindness Meditation
This mindful activity allows you to rid yourself of others’ expectations; it helps you handle difficult interactions by practicing a loving-kindness meditation routine by loving yourself and letting go of judgment of others.
There are a number of mindfulness apps that include loving-kindness.
Click on the picture for a
Loving-Kindness Meditation.
A Walk By the Sea/Through the Woods
As you walk through the woods, by the ocean, a lake, the park… you connect with nature and experience relaxing spaces for a mindful walk/rest. During this walk you allow yourself to be mindful of the sights, sounds, scents… that relax your body, mind and soul. When you can’t access these spaces, you can listen to nature sounds or look at nature-filled pictures...
Mindful Body Scan
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During this practice you sit quietly with your eyes closed.
“It is recommended you allow about 30 or 40 minutes to let yourself really investigate this practice. But if you don’t have that much time, utilize whatever time you have. You might want to lay down, but you can also do it sitting up, especially if that makes it easier for you to stay awake."
There are numerous body scans on apps to calmly and gently take you through the process of slowly scanning from your feet to your head.
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Click on the picture for a
Mindful Body Scan.
Mindful Coloring
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This mindful activity can be practiced with coloring books (eg mandalas, nature scenes, in one’s personal practice and with children. It’s a wonderful way to relax, decompress and boost creativity. It brings calm while focusing on the breath and focusing on calming colors that can ease your mind and relax your body.
“... Coloring books aren’t just for fun—they offer users an experience of “flow,” a mental state in which one becomes so immersed in an experience that time and space and self no longer disrupt the present moment.” (Mindful, 2016)
Mindful Journaling
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This is a mindful practice that can form part of a daily routine at home… it is also a great way for parents to model a mindful practice - journaling with their children.
Journaling can include gratitude journals, mindful prompts, even riddles!…
Journaling while being present, mindful, grateful, creative.
Click on the jar
Calming Glitter Jar
“When words are unavailable, it helps to find other ways to demonstrate the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A snow globe or glitter jar is one of the most powerful visual metaphors for that connection; it illustrates how mindfulness—the cultivation of stillness in the face of swirling chaos of life—affects us.” (Willard, 2019)
Mindful Spaces
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Creating a mindful space truly sets the tone for a mindful practice. This is as simple as using natural lighting (no fluorescent lighting) and lamps with warm lights; aromatherapy; calming music; calming, soothing colors…
Mindful spaces can be created almost anywhere.
