Simple Meditation Practices to Reach Mindfulness

meditation

Focusing on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future, can have a significant effect when it comes to reducing stress and improving the quality of your life.


Research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discovered that counting each breath is a good way to measure mindfulness. A study published in Frontiers in Psychology, revealed that counting one’s breath in a rhythmic way, positively transformed volunteers’ moods. The good news is that meditation practice can take place almost anywhere, you don’t have to join a class or pay gym fees. In fact, if you’ve just purchased a home among Houston real estate, or anywhere else for that matter, you may want to dedicate a room to the practice, or simply an area of a room that helps you feel more relaxed.

Immediate Relaxation Mode

When you’re going through a very stressful situation, you can immediately put yourself into relaxation mode to reduce stress and reach mindfulness by following this technique:

  1. Loosen your clothing if you can or change into something that feels more relaxed.

  2. Tighten the muscles in each one of your toes and hold the pose for a count of 10. Now relax your toes, feeling the tension release.

  3. Do the same with the muscles in your feet. Hold for a count of 10 and then relax them.

  4. Move slowly, working your way up through your body, following the same method, from your legs to your back, your abdominal muscles, neck and face, contracting and then relaxing each muscle as you go.

Observe

This exercise may seem simple, but it’s actually quite powerful. It allows you to appreciate and pay attention to the little details and elements in your environment. You’ll connect with nature, noticing its beauty and intricacies, something frequently missed when you’re rushing around trying to get to work or finish all those daily tasks.

  1. Choose an object from nature in your immediate environment – it might be a flower, a ladybug, or something in the sky, like the clouds or the stars.

  2. Don’t do anything at all except pay attention to the object you’re focusing on. Relax as you watch, for as long as your concentration allows.

  3. Try to look at through a “new” set of eyes, as if you’re seeing the object for the first time. Notice everything about it, its color, its shape, becoming consumed by its presence.

  4. Connect with the energy of the object, concentrating on its purpose in the world.

Being Grateful for the Little Things

Being grateful may also seem like a simple idea, but it can make a big, positive difference in anyone’s life, and help you to be much more mindful too. All you have to do is think about five things each day that usually go unnoticed and unappreciated They can be people, things, events, it’s all up to you. Giving thanks, appreciating the small things in life, make us feel happier and can even bring more abundance too. You’ll be mindful about things like your ability to smell flowers and fresh-cut grass, to hear the songs of the birds and enjoy the feel of the warmth of a bath after a long day.

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