5 exercises to practice mindfulness

1. Take just 2 "mindful" bites of food. For each meal of snack, try just paying attention to the subtle textures, tastes, appearances, and smells of the first 2 bites of food. The idea is to just be present for the sensory experience.

2. Pay attention to the feeling of air on your skin.  Try this exercise for just 30 seconds. It is useful to not be covered in a sweater and to have some skin exposed. The idea is to focus on the "experience" as to being in "judging" mode, which is often our default. I know it kind of sounds silly, but its kind of weird to pay attention to a sensation that is always available to us.

3. Pay attention to just one breath feels like. No need to take a yoga or tai chi pose, but just take a moment to feel the sensation of a breath flowing into and out of your body. Notice where the sensation of the breath seems to be the most noticeable (nostrils, rib cage, belly, etc.)


4. Scan your body. Another one that feels kind of foreign, but try scanning your body from the top to toe for any sensations of discomfort or tension. Pay attention to the position of your various body parts and the feeling of them in space. Attempt to soften the sensations of discomfort.  

5. Do one action mindfully. Pick some action that you tend to do daily without thinking (brushing your teeth, taking a shower) and try to participate in that activity mindfully. Using all 5 senses try to make as many observations that you can during this routine activity of what that experience is really like.