Retreating from retreats: 10 Mindfulness exercises
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We have all been there once or twice, we come across an ad on Facebook that pulls us with force towards going on a ‘deep inner expedition. So we get to know our true self. Or they show us beautiful pictures of a dreamy retreat on Bali or another ‘Zen’ destination pur sang to practice Mindfulness.
Instantly, we long for something we cannot quite put our finger on. A craving for a soothing calmness, that we know somewhere exists, outside of our busy crazy lives.
Once we tear our thoughts away from these beautiful palm fringed, yoga-on-the-beach, meditation-on-ancient-wooden-floors sceneries, we are also immediately convinced that it is not something we could actually do. Usually, because it is:
- Too far away
- Not family-friendly
- Too expensive
- Too floaty
- Too bendy, or
- Meditation is not for me…
Well, in this blog we will give you 10 easy-to-do exercises to practice Mindfulness in and around your own home.
The fading retreat after-glow
Usually half of these convictions are true. Most of us cannot go on a 10-day retreat on some beautiful tucked-away island because well…. LIFE.
And even if we can do it, once we have completed the retreat, gotten our Zen on, practiced Mindfulness, found inner peace, and feel brimming with energy, there is always that plane that brings us back to our normal lives.
And once we restart our normal lives, even despite our deepest desires to keep ourselves Zen and our best intentions, the retreat afterglow usually lasts only a few weeks at most.
Hold on to that peaceful feeling
Before we know, another year has passed. Throughout that year sometimes we reflect back to our time at the retreat.
We ask ourselves what happened to that peace? How did we lose it so fast? How can we get it back? Or maybe it wasn’t for us anyway, because the only way we THINK we can keep that peaceful feeling is to live in a retreat 24/7.
Well – GOOD NEWS! There are many healthy ways and habits to maintain the after-retreat glow. But even better news, we do not even have to go on a retreat at all to be able to feel the same deep peace and space.
There are some very effective and easy every day habits to adopt in order to greatly enhance your self-awareness. And, in turn, we become mindful of the calmness that is always present inside of you. Even when the usual rat-race kicks in again.
To immediately give you some tools, our blog gives you an easy-to-do list of 10 habits to adopt. These immediately help you to feel more peaceful, more energetic, and more self-aware in your every-day life.
So that you can have a break from dreaming about going on endless retreats. Now you actually have a perpetual retreat-like afterglow in your day-to-day life. 😌
Easy to adopt Mindfulness habits for every-day life
We have all read about mindfulness, meditation and how good it is for the body and soul. However, we are often too busy to sit and do a 40-minute meditation. Also, we do not always have the energy to take another yoga class.
Furthermore, for some of us “Mindfulness” sounds like a floaty leftover from Buddhism, that seems not to fit in our busy lifestyles.
In reality, Mindfulness is actually an amazing tool to reduce stress in your life. Moreover, it helps you to be more able to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
It is such an easy concept to implement in every-day life. It is scientifically proven to stimulate cognitive function, especially with regards to memory and focus.
It does not take a daily 40-minute meditation session to become mindful. Nor do you need to collect buddha statutes and create an altar in an empty room in your house.
For the most part, Mindfulness is a way to train your mind to be more receptive to what is happening around you, in the very moment that it happens. However, without judging, labeling, reacting, or objectifying the experience.
Sounds like hard work, but it really isn’t. Here is an easy-to-do list of 10 exercises you could adopt in your day-to-day life. These easy activities will already let you experience the benefits of living in Mindfulness:
1. 10 Minutes of breathing Mindfulness
Block off 10 minutes a day for yourself and just follow your breath. You can do this whilst sitting, standing or laying down. With each breath just follow it with your attention going in and going out.
There is nothing you need to do, other than that. No meditation posture, no goal, nothing. Just take 10 minutes and breathe. You can even do it in bed.
2. Follow a sound
When you hear a sound at some point throughout the day, try to actively follow it with your attention. Ask yourself, what is that sound, where does it come from, who created the sound, and what does it stir in you?
For example, if you hear birds just take a minute and really listen to it with your full attention. You can listen to any sound, even the sounds of cars or traffic. Or the wind rushing through the trees. The importance is to focus your mind on it for a moment.
3. That one thing (memory)
Throughout the day, we come across things, places, people that jog our memory. They can be pleasant or unpleasant and fill us with happiness, longing, or pain.
Take one moment where you notice that you remember something, and then look at the very thing or person that made you remember closely. How was your memory triggered? Did it go automatically, or did you have some form of control over it?
Try to analyze that moment, as much as you can, by feeling what comes up. This will make you realize that you can choose your thoughts.
For example, the other day I saw a statue that reminded me of my trip to Easter Island.
4. That one person
We meet people every day, everywhere and under any circumstances. Yet most of these people pass through our field of vision as ghost actors in our own movie. We do not really see them, literally. They fill our world as cashiers, taxi-drivers, ticket-vendors, and that annoying person who jumped the queue in front of us at the supermarket.
Most of the time we cannot even describe their features even after we exchanged with them. We only see most people for the role they play for us at that point in time in our existence. Nothing more.
Now try to see at least one person that you come across as a complete person. Not someone who provides a service to you, but as a person just like yourself.
For example, when you check out your groceries, really look at the cashier and imagine his/her life completely, family, travels, worries, and the fact that he/or she is not that different from you at all. This cultivates compassion and connectedness.
5. That one thing (food)
When you eat something (pick anything) at any point of the day, take a moment to realize what it really is that you are eating. Are you enjoying its flavor, texture, the feeling of the food in your mouth? How does it feel to eat it, chew it, and feel it filling you?
Try to really connect with the food that you are eating and feel that you become naturally curious about all its aspects. You will realize how important food is for your overall wellbeing, and that every piece matters.
6. Walking to practice Mindfulness
Easy. Take a walk at least once a day. During your walk smell the air, look at your surroundings, and the people you pass. Be present.
7. Go on a Technology Diet
Technology is everything these days. It is how we connect with others, it is how we learn, how we process most of our present-day world.
However, it is also a giant source of stress and provides so many negative coping mechanisms. Because it is such an easy way to step out of our mind and into a fake online world that will tell us fake great things.
Our hunger for information is sadly often greater than our hunger for peace and calmness. So, in order to give ourselves peace of mind, we need a technology diet. That includes TV, Netflix, computer screen time for work or hobbies, but most importantly; social networking. 💻📱
Take a break from all the stress, comparative obsessions, dreaming, and other mental escapes that social networking and Netflixing gives you. You will soon realize that there is an enormous amount of mental space that can be used for other, more creative means, instead.
Life is not on a screen, even for those amongst us with long-distance relationships.
8. Talk
Most of the time when we talk, words come out and we think very fast during the conversation. Sometimes about what we say, but more often than not we already think about the next thing to do, the next place to be, the next bullet point on our to-do-list.
More often than not, we also forget most of the things that were said during the conversation we just had. Especially what the other person said.
Talking is a great way to exercise mindfulness since we can force our mind to completely focus on what is being said, and what we say. Because we inadvertently will zone out most of the time during our talks in the day, try to pick one conversation.
Determine to be fully present and aware. It can be a conversation with your child, your family, any conversation at work, but try to be really there. Notice the words coming out of your mouth.
9. Listen
Equally important and a great opportunity to calm your mind is listening. Especially for those amongst us who are sure that they know best. Or who live most of the time in their own heads by judging, subjectifying, objectifying, personalizing, and moralizing everything they hear from other people, commercials, or other social means.
The next time you hear someone talk, just force yourself to stop and look closely at the person. See the way their face changes as they are telling their story. Let the words land in your head instead to file them instantly away in your usual mental cabinets.
Listening with your full attention will really give you a moment of peace because really it isn’t about you at that particular moment in time. In this way, your merry-go-around mind will have to focus on giving attention to receiving the words, instead of getting lost in the usual thought patterns.
And yes, this is difficult. Especially when the topic does not give you any personal advantages. But the results are immediate, it cultivates compassion and calmness.
10. Smile for more Mindfulness
And finally, another easy one. Just smile.😃
Mostly try to smile at yourself throughout the day, because face it, we actually stumble throughout life in a kind of haphazard and funny way. We make many mistakes and we should not beat ourselves up over them.
Be kind to yourself and smile, you will see that you will then also easier smile to others, and they to you. And that will give you feelings of joy and happiness, even when you least expect them.
In the mood for some delicious healthy food? Check out our keto or vegetarian recipes.
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