A Pocket Full of Mindfulness

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you will have heard of mindfulness. Perhaps you’ve tried mindfulness and are aware of its benefits but struggle to make it a practice, part of your everday life. Or is mindfulness just another thing to add to your to-do list?

If this sounds like you then I can relate.

Meditation first

A few years ago I was studying for an MA and working part-time whilst also applying for jobs. My nerves were frayed and my body was tired. Empty. Wrung out. My mind however, was busy. Frenetic. Calm had long abandoned my mind and anxiety had taken control.

I tried everything. Long walks, lavendar spray on my pillows, yoga. You name it, I tried it. While there was short-term relief, most of the time the flames of anxiety were merely dampened.

Then I discovered a guided meditation by Nita Saini. What followed in those 20 minutes was nothing short of a revelation. I know, big words. Somehow, with my mind suspended, my only focus the honeyed voice in my ears, I relaxed for the first time in a year.

By following a guided meditation I was able to trick my mind into believing that I was doing something. Before that time, I equated relaxing with doing nothing. And I’ve never been good at doing nothing. My anxiety made it impossible for me to do nothing. Silence was something to be feared.

Amazingly, following the guided meditation was enough to allow my mind to finally relax.

One part of the meditation asked me to imagine a warm golden liquid gliding down from the top of my head, down my neck and shoulders. Radiating warmth and healing with each drop. Holding this gentle image in my mind, my body began to relax and loosen. The first time I’d truly felt in a long time.

If you’ve struggled with stress or anxiety, you’ll know the effect these conditions have on your body. So wired and in a heightened state of stress, you feel numb to other emotions. By focusing on the present moment my body was able to engage with my mind as it should.

At the end of the meditaiton it’s no exaggeration to say that I felt as though I’d emerged from a deep sleep. A satisfying rest.

Over the next few months I came back to the gudied meditation. Knowing I had something in my arsenal to help sooth my anxiety was a relief but also kind of awesome.

The power of the mind. I began to understand that if negative thoughts could cloud my life, then more balanced thoughts could soothe my mind.

Mindfulness for the everyday

I read books on meditation, tried a meditation app and then discovered mindfulness. On those days when I didn’t have time to sit and meditate, I used mindfulness instead.

Mindfulness is brilliant because it’s portable. Wherever you go, it goes too. Let me tell you how I made mindfulness part of my everyday life and how you can too.

My favourite mindfulness exercises

Before you begin

Your mind WILL wander when you try mindfulness. This is normal. Every time this happens (and it will happen a lot), just bring your mind back to the present. The more you notice your mind wandering, the more your awareness takes hold. Usually we’re unaware of our mind wandering from topic to topic. And when you notice it has wandered, this is mindfulness at work.

Remember to gently coax you wandering mind back to the present moment. Don’t berate yourself or tell yourself that you have failed. Just keep going. Over time your mind will wander less and less.

The Shower

This one is the first mindfulness exercise I tried. It’s very simple. Everyone needs to shower or take a bath at some point.

How does the water feel? Stand beneath the shower and bring your mind to the torrent of water and how it feels as it flows over your head. Really focus on how the water feels. Work from the top of your head right to your toes. How does it feel as it moves down your shoulders? As it hits your shins? Focus on how the water feels for about five minutes.

Next really look at the water. Take five more minutes to look at how the water makes tracks over your arms, how it arcs a spray when it makes contact with your shoulders. Are the droplets bigger on your hands than on your arms? Look at the patterns the water makes on your skin. Does the water move faster down your shoulders or over your arms? Imagine this is the first time you’ve seen water.

Listen to the water. take 3 minutes or so to listen to how the water feels when it makes contact with your head, your arms, your chest, your legs, etc.

Continue with your normal showering routine. Slowly bring your mind back to your surroundings and carry on with your day!

Strength training

Say whaaaat? I hear you cry. Strength training (weights) and mindfulness? Bear with me.

For me, strength training is so enjoyable because it’s a form on mindfulness. I often zone out when lifting weights and my mind feels relaxed and open, its only focus the number of reps and lifting the weights.

If you’ve never worked with dumbells before, I recommend checking out a few YouTube videos or asking for guidance at the gym to work on your form. If you’re used to working with dumbells then you might want ot try the following mindfulness exercise.

Select your weights. You’re going to follow your usual strength routine but this time, you’re going to focus on how the movements feel.

With each lift, focus on how the weight feels in your hand. Do this for however many sets you usually do.

With the next set, focus on how your muscles feel with each lift and relax.

Repeat as many times as you wish.

Always bring your mind back to the weights whenever your mind begins to wander.

The trip to the dentist

Seriously, is there nothing mindfulness can’t help with? Another great thing about mindfulness is how flexible it is. And no one has to know you’re doing it because it’s invisible!

I’ve always dreaded going to the dentist. After a bad experience in my teens, a knot of anxiety now accompanies me with each visit, even for a simple check up. I’ve learned to get through it by focusing on my breathing, however, when I’ve had treatment I’ve had to use a different strategy and that’s where mindfulness comes in.

You can use this mindfulness exercise whenever you have to go somewhere that makes you anxious. Whether it’s travelling by public transport, a visit to the doctor’s, this exercise is worth a try. When I first tried it, the 10 minutes before my appointment flew by.

Take 5 minutes for this exercise Bring your attention to whatever it is you’re sitting on. Is it a chair? A bench? Does it feel comfortable? Is the chair hard or soft? Examine how the chair feels as the backs of your legs makes contact with the chair.

Next, study something in front of you. Another chair or seat, perhaps. What is it made of? Really look at the fabric. Is there a pattern to it? Is it smooth or frayed? What colours can you see? What else do you notice about the seat / chair? What is it made of, can you guess? Imagine you’re seeing it for the first time. Repeat this for as long as you need to.

Let me know how you get on. Perhaps you have another great mindfulness exercise that you’d like to share. Let me know!