1. Mindful Breathing

Time needed: 5-10 minutes

This fundamental practice helps anchor your awareness in the present moment through your breath.

How to practice:

1. Find a comfortable seated position with your back straight but not rigid.
2. Close your eyes or lower your gaze.
3. Bring your attention to your breath, noticing the sensations of breathing in your body.
4. Notice where you feel your breath most prominently – perhaps at the nostrils, chest, or abdomen.
5. Simply observe your natural breathing without trying to change it.
6. When your mind wanders (which is completely normal), gently notice this and bring your attention back to your breath.
7. Continue this practice for your chosen duration.

Tip: You might find it helpful to silently note “in” and “out” or count your breaths from 1 to 10 and then start over.

2. Body Scan

Time needed: 10-20 minutes

The body scan helps develop awareness of physical sensations and can help release tension you may not realize you’re holding.

How to practice:

1. Lie down or sit in a comfortable position.
2. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths to settle in.
3. Begin by bringing awareness to your feet. Notice any sensations present – warmth, coolness, tingling, pressure, or perhaps no sensation at all.
4. Slowly move your attention up through your body – ankles, calves, knees, thighs, hips, abdomen, chest, back, hands, arms, shoulders, neck, and finally your head.
5. For each body part, spend about 20-30 seconds simply noticing whatever sensations are present without trying to change them.
6. If you notice tension or discomfort, see if you can breathe into that area and allow it to soften.
7. When you’ve scanned your entire body, take a moment to notice how your body feels as a whole.

Tip: If you find yourself getting sleepy during this practice, try doing it in a seated position rather than lying down.

3. Five Senses Exercise

Time needed: 3-5 minutes

This practice is excellent for grounding yourself in the present moment when feeling stressed or overwhelmed.

How to practice:

Take a moment to notice:

• 5 things you can see – Look around and bring attention to five things you can see. These could be objects, colors, or movements.
• 4 things you can touch/feel – Notice four things you can physically feel, like the texture of your clothing, the air on your skin, or the chair supporting you.
• 3 things you can hear – Listen for three sounds. These might be obvious, like conversation, or subtle, like the hum of electronics or your own breathing.
• 2 things you can smell – Identify two scents. If you can’t smell anything at first, move to another spot or notice the absence of smell.
• 1 thing you can taste – Focus on one thing you can taste right now. If you can’t taste anything, notice the current taste in your mouth.

Tip: This exercise is portable and discreet – you can do it anywhere, anytime you need to center yourself.

4. Mindful Eating

Time needed: 5-10 minutes

Eating is something we do every day, yet we rarely give it our full attention. Mindful eating helps us fully experience our food and develop a healthier relationship with eating.

How to practice:

1. Choose a small piece of food, such as a raisin, a piece of chocolate, or a slice of fruit.
2. Before eating, observe the food as if you’ve never seen it before. Notice its color, texture, shape, and size.
3. Smell the food and notice any sensations this triggers – perhaps mouth-watering or memories.
4. Slowly place the food in your mouth but don’t chew yet. Notice how it feels on your tongue.
5. Begin to chew slowly, noticing the flavors, textures, and sensations of eating.
6. Continue to eat slowly and mindfully, noticing when the urge to swallow arises and how the taste changes throughout the experience.

Tip: Try to eat one meal or snack mindfully each day. You don’t need to eat your entire meal this way – even just the first few bites can help establish mindfulness.

5. Mindful Listening

Time needed: 5-10 minutes

This practice helps develop the skill of truly listening without planning your response or getting caught in judgments.

How to practice:

1. Find a piece of music you haven’t heard before, or haven’t listened to attentively.
2. Close your eyes or lower your gaze to minimize visual distractions.
3. As the music plays, try to focus entirely on the sound. Notice the instruments, rhythms, melodies, and any vocals.
4. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to the music.
5. Notice if you start to form judgments about the music (like/dislike) and see if you can let those go and simply experience the sounds as they are.
6. Pay attention to any physical sensations the music evokes in your body.

Alternative: You can also practice mindful listening with environmental sounds. Sit quietly for 5 minutes and simply notice all the sounds around you without labeling them as good or bad.