My daily meditation practice has been a little off the rails in these summer months, but something I’ve tried to make up for it are little mindfulness flushes through the day and I have to say I’m quite obsessed.
They’re quick and less committing, and the more you do them, the more moments you seem to find in the day to squeeze them in.
Maybe today during your commute, on a train, on a bus, in a lift, on a conference call, in a bathroom cubicle, or simply reading this blogpost take a couple of moments to do this quick body scan exercise:
Close your eyes (or soften your gaze if closing the eyes is not an option).
Build a picture of your body in your mind from the ground up. Just follow your body like a map - start with your feet and move up all the way to the crown of your head.
Feel connected to the ground with your feet and feel connected to yourself as you build awareness of how the body is feeling.
Notice any sensations, areas of tightness or pain as you scan your hips, your back, shoulders and neck.
When you become more present in the body, start to notice the way you’re breathing and finish with a couple of rounds of quiet, soft, belly breaths in and out through the nose.
Try to feel the inhale expanding from the belly instead of rising shallowly from the chest.
Don’t worry about whether you’re doing this right or wrong - all that matters is trying to become aware of how you’re feeling and how you are breathing. Even if it’s one conscious breath, it’s still one more conscious moment in your day.
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