Price Match Guarantee | Free Shipping $50+ | Easy Returns l Rewards Program

0

Your Cart is Empty

Women
  • Womens Yoga Clothes
  • womens yoga mats
  • Men
  • Mens Yoga Gear
  • Brands
  • Gear
  • Yoga Blocks, Straps and Props - Mukha Yoga
  • Meditation Supplies - Mukha Yoga
  • Womens yoga gear
  • Practicing Everyday Mindfulness

    June 01, 2021 5 min read

    When you get up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do? Is it—grab your phone and look at your notifications?

    How about your lunch break—do you savor each meal, or spend the time catching up on emails?

    Perhaps you find yourself running on autopilot most of the time.

    It can be hard to focus your attention in a world that expects you to constantly multitask. But by living more mindfully we can live more intentionally. And bringing mindfulness to each day doesn’t mean adding an additional task to get to. Practicing everyday mindfulness is just about noticing our thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they happen—throughout our day!

    Here are 5 simple ways to practice everyday mindfulness:

    5 Ways to Practice Mindfulness | Mukha Yoga

    When you get up in the morning, what’s the first thing you do? Is it—grab your phone and look at your notifications?

    How about your lunch break—do you savor each meal, or spend the time catching up on emails?

    Perhaps you find yourself running on autopilot most of the time.

    It can be hard to focus your attention in a world that expects you to constantly multitask.  But by living more mindfully we can live more intentionally. And bringing mindfulness to each day doesn’t mean adding an additional task to get to.  Practicing everyday mindfulness is just about noticing our thoughts, feelings, and experiences as they happen—throughout our day!

    Here are 5 simple ways to practice everyday mindfulness:

    1) Wake Up Mindfully

    As you transition from sleep, reconnect with your body and the breath. Notice how it feels to move from sleep to wakefulness.

    You can take a few deep breaths and notice where you feel it the most. Do you feel the sensation more in your nostrils? Or do you feel your belly rise and fall?

    1) Wake Up Mindfully

    As you transition from sleep, reconnect with your body and the breath. Notice how it feels to move from sleep to wakefulness.

    You can take a few deep breaths and notice where you feel it the most. Do you feel the sensation more in your nostrils? Or do you feel your belly rise and fall?

    Taking a few breaths as you begin to wake up will help ground you in the present moment, instead of jumping headfirst into all the things on your to-do list. And if you do find yourself immediately thinking about the day ahead, just notice those thoughts without judgment. And simply refocus your attention on how the body feels as you breathe, stretch, and move your way onto your feet.

    2) Mindfully Transition

    We move through many transitions in our daily lives. Getting out of bed, getting up to get water, driving home from work. These are all transitions from one task to the next that we often do without even noticing what we’re doing.

    Next time you move from one task to the next, focus on what you’re getting up to do and bring intention and awareness to the transition into the new activity.

    3) Mindful Eating

    Eating is something often done while engaging in another activity. It can be tempting to catch up on emails during lunch or turn on the TV.

    Next time you have a meal, bring your attention to the colors on your plate, the sensations of eating, and the flavors you experience.

    Bringing attention to your food also allows you to eat more slowly—savoring your meal, and also giving you the chance to notice your hunger cues. You can engage all your senses by noticing the sights, smells, flavors and even sounds of your meal. This creates a more enriching experience and can bring you a greater appreciation for one of the greatest pleasures in life!

    Learn more about Intuitive Eating.

    4) Use Waiting Times to Be Mindful

    4) Use Waiting Times to Be Mindful

    Waiting periods are often times we don’t like. The in-between time before a Zoom call, in line at the grocery store, or before your doctor’s appointment can make us feel antsy. We like to fill that time—often with mindless scrolling on our phones or another distracting activity.

    When you find yourself with some extra waiting time, you can use that time to check in with your body and your breath. Focus on your posture or even the sights and sounds around you. You may sense tension you've been holding in your shoulders. Or you may be delighted to see a flowering tree you never noticed before.

    5) Turn Chores Into a Mindful Experience

    Waiting periods are often times we don’t like. The in-between time before a Zoom call, in line at the grocery store, or before your doctor’s appointment can make us feel antsy. We like to fill that time—often with mindless scrolling on our phones or another distracting activity.

    When you find yourself with some extra waiting time, you can use that time to check in with your body and your breath. Focus on your posture or even the sights and sounds around you. You may sense tension you've been holding in your shoulders. Or you may be delighted to see a flowering tree you never noticed before.

    5) Turn Chores Into a Mindful Experience

    Chores are another activity you can bring everyday mindfulness to. If you’re feeling negative emotions associated with doing chores— notice it without any judgment.

    And when you do your dishes or vacuum the floors, try and focus all your attention to the task you are doing. You’d be surprised how much there is to experience. When washing dishes, you may note the textures of your glasses, the feeling of warm water on your hands, and the smell of your soap in the air. 

    Practicing Everyday Mindfulness | Mukha Yoga

    Chores are another activity you can bring everyday mindfulness to. If you’re feeling negative emotions associated with doing chores— notice it without any judgment.

    And when you do your dishes or vacuum the floors, try and focus all your attention to the task you are doing. You’d be surprised how much there is to experience. When washing dishes, you may note the textures of your glasses, the feeling of warm water on your hands, and the smell of your soap in the air.

    In noticing—even during mundane activities—we cultivate a deeper appreciation for the richness and variety of experiences to be had in life.

    Practice everyday mindfulness for a more enriching life

    Meditation is one way of practicing mindfulness, but you can approach all aspects of your daily life with mindfulness. You can practice mindfulness while making your morning cup of coffee, during a work meeting, or even while washing the dishes.

    And lastly, it’s important to show yourself patience and compassion as you practice the skill. The mind is used to wandering and prone to distraction. But this is why we call it a mindfulness practice. With practice, you’ll find yourself improving your ability to be mindful.

    Through practicing everyday mindfulness, you’ll likely find yourself experiencing a greater sense of wellbeing and appreciation for the world around you.

    Mila Meldosian

    By Mila Meldosian; All Rights Reserved @2021

    Mila MeldosianBy Mila Meldosian; All Rights Reserved @2021


    Related Articles

    Do you ever feel anxiety over the need for something to be perfect? If so, you may be struggling with perfectionism. This debilitating mindset can keep you from reaching your full potential.

    Meditation is a mindfulness practice that connects us to the present by paying attention to our breath. It sounds simple, yet is so powerful.