In this busy world in which we live, where we are constantly connected to new technologies, the mind jumps around continuously, spreading our thoughts and emotions, which can make us feel stressed, nervous, and even anxious.

The way of life in Western societies puts us on automatic pilot , which means that the days go by without us noticing what is happening inside or around us . We go about our lives without stopping to look at ourselves, without stopping to think about our needs. Always ruminating, clinging to expectations more than to reality.

Living on autopilot, a bad choice

Living on autopilot, living by inertia and letting yourself go can be very comfortable in the short term. It’s easier to let the days go by and not face the fear of talking to your partner about what you’re feeling. Or, it’s less complicated to let yourself go from day to day than to acknowledge that you’re sad, right? The planets will align to solve your problems…

But living far from the present, that is, with our armour on and feeling nothing, can be negative in the long run, because when something happens that shakes us (for example, we are fired from work or our partner leaves us), then it is time to step on the ground. Besides, living in expectations can make us tremendously unhappy .

Mindfulness: more than techniques, a philosophy of life

The practice of Mindfulness, more than a set of techniques to be in the present moment, is a philosophy of life, an attitude to be adopted to reconnect with oneself . It is a coping style that promotes personal strengths, that helps to self-regulate behaviour and to know oneself better, as well as creating an environment conducive to well-being.

In other words, Full Attention is a conscious and intentional way of tuning in to what is going on inside us and around us, and it allows us to unmask automatisms and promote integral development.

A few minutes a day is not so much…

For some people, those who live eternally stressed, finding 5 minutes a day to connect with oneself can be difficult. But investing 10, 15 or 20 minutes a day for one’s own well-being is not so much.

As already mentioned, the important thing in the practice of this discipline, regardless of the techniques used, is to adopt the Mindfulness attitude, which p breaks the attention in the present moment, without judging, and with compassion towards oneself and others .

5 Mindfulness exercises for greater well-being

Before moving on to the list of exercises, it is important to emphasize that practicing Mindfulness, as an attitude towards life, is not limited simply to the performance of these exercises, but that is a way of facing up to the events that occur in daily life . Even so, adopting a healthy habit like this is beneficial for many reasons.

  • If you want to know what the benefits of this practice are, you can read the following article: “Mindfulness: 8 benefits of full attention”

Having said that, here is a list of practical Mindfulness exercises :

1. Mindfulness in a single minute

This exercise is ideal if you are starting to practice Mindfulness, because as you progress in learning full attention, it is ideal to increase the practice time to about 15 or 20 minutes a day. Furthermore, as it only takes one minute, you can practice this exercise anywhere and at any time in your daily life .

2. Landing breath here and now

This exercise is ideal for turning off the autopilot . When practicing it, the attention is focused on the present moment and stops the constant flow of thoughts, memories, images or ideas. It is ideal for relieving accumulated tension in a very simple way.

To do this, it is necessary to focus attention on breathing. A soft, deep and constant inspiration through the nose must be done . When filling up with air, release the air immediately through the mouth with intensity but without forcing the throat. When we notice a distraction (which is normal), we observe what it is that caught our attention and we return to the breath.

3. Mindfulness breakfast

It’s common to wake up in the morning on autopilot. You get out of bed, shower, get dressed, have breakfast, brush your teeth, and then another day at work. Yes, another day!

You can break this negative habit by performing Mindfulness in the morning. That way you’ll face the day differently. To do this, you need to sit down in a quiet place, and turn off the television so that you are silent . You must also keep your mobile phone away. It’s about not having any distractions. When you get ready to eat breakfast, try to focus your attention on the tastes, smells, touch of food or drink… feel them! This way, you will be with the attention in the present moment, and you will see the difference.

4. Attention to the sounds of the moment

This exercise consists of consciously observing the sounds that occur in our environment . Therefore, it is a matter of listening to them, hearing them as they sound without trying to identify them, judging them as pleasant or unpleasant, or thinking about them. Without any effort, sounds are observed and other external perceptions are set aside. When we notice a distraction, we observe what it is that caught our attention and we return to listening to the sounds, relying exclusively on the breath of that moment

Obviously, when we listen to sounds that enter our ears, thoughts and feelings related to what we are hearing arise, so this exercise tries to know silence and sound not conceptually (without thinking) but experientially (feeling).

5. Body scanner

With this exercise we try to get in touch with the experience of our body as it is, without judging, without rejecting the unpleasant sensations or attaching ourselves to the pleasant ones . This exercise is also called body sweep or body scan.

To do this, it is necessary to sit in a comfortable position, with an upright back, although it is also possible to adopt a lying down position. Then, close your eyes, pay attention to your breathing and go through your body. This type of meditation is advisable to be guided.

Mindfulness Training Program: M-PBI

If you are interested in knowing what Mindfulness is and want to experience first-hand the practice of Mindfulness, there are several specialized centers that offer you the possibility of taking the Mindfulness Training Program: M-PBI .

Mindfulness allows you to be in the present moment and helps you to be more aware of your immediate experience with a non-judgmental, open and accepting attitude.

Its benefits for our daily life are many: it helps to regulate emotions, reduces stress and anxiety, improves psychological well-being, increases the ability to concentrate, helps to sleep better, encourages creativity… Thanks to this 9-week experiential course, you will be able to see for yourself the purpose of this thousand-year-old practice, and you will be able to enter into this method to learn how to manage emotions, reactions and thoughts, something necessary to face the different situations that day-to-day life presents.

Likewise, you will be able to discover that through the development of full attention it is possible to know yourself better and develop certain positive attitudes in relation to your emotions and feelings, coming to control them from freedom and compassion.