Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness involves acceptance, meaning that we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judging them—without believing, for instance, that there's a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment.

  Below are several Mindfulness Techniques.

Breathing 

• Begin by sitting comfortably. Look around the room and orient yourself to what is around you. Sit upright, yet relaxed. Now close your eyes and take three deep breaths. One, two, three.
• Pay attention to your breathing. Let your attention rest on the inhale, then the exhale.
• It’s fine to notice other sensations as well, but keep your mind focused on breathing out. Let your breath come naturally; don’t force or change it.
• When you notice that your attention has wandered, let the thought go, and gently bring your attention back to your breath. Hold your awareness here. 
• After 2-3 minutes, bring your awareness back to the outside world. When you are ready, open your eyes. Take a few moments to orient yourself to what is around you. Sit for a min tire and reflect on how you feel.

Awareness of Gravity

• Begin by sitting comfortably. Look around the room and orient yourself to what is around you. Sit upright, yet relaxed. Now close your eyes and take three deep breaths. One, two, three.
• Notice where the sensations of weight are in your body. Notice where you’re body contacts the chair.  Notice your body’s mass and warmth. Can you feel gravity pulling you downward?
• When you notice that your attention has wandered, let the thought go and gently bring your attention back to the sensation of heaviness in your body. Hold your awareness in that place.
• After 2-3 minutes, bring your awareness back to the outside world. When you are ready, open your eyes. Take a few moments to orient yourself to what is around you. Sit for a moment and reflect on how you feel.

Visualize your Center

Begin by sitting comfortably. Look around the room and orient yourself to what is around you. Sit upright, yet relaxed. Now close your eyes and take three deep breaths. One, two, three.

Bring your attention to your upper body. Can you feel your stomach and chest? Can you feel your back, shoulders, and neck? Notice the left side of your body. Now notice the right side.

Imagine a line running through the center of your body, halfway between your front and back, halfway between your left side and your right side.

If you’d like, move your body slightly to help reveal your centerline. Very gently and slightly, rock forward and backwards, side to side. Let your body sell the back to its center. Slightly rotate your body to the left, then to the right, noting your center axis. 

Once you’ve found your center, focus your attention here. Feel it through the top of your head and down to where your body meets the chair. Feel it through your entire upper body.

When you notice your attention has wandered, let the thought go and gently bring your attention back to your center. Hold your awareness here.

After 2-3 minutes, bring your awareness back to the outside world. When you are ready, open your eyes. Take a few moments to orient yourself to what is around you. Sit for a moment and reflect on how you feel.

Hands and Feet Focus

• Begin by sitting comfortably. Look around the room and orient yourself to what is around you. Sit upright, yet relaxed. Now close your eyes and take three deep breaths. One, two, three.
• Pay attention to your hands. Focus on the sensations there. Are they warm? Cold? Tingly? Moist? Heavy? Hell the heaviness of your hands as they sit in your lap.
• Now move your focus to your feet. Are they warm? Cold? Tingly? Heavy? Feel the weight of your feet as they rest on the floor.
• Move between hands and feet, paying attention to how they feel. If you’d like you may move your attention from your feet up to your hands, focusing in turn on feet, knees, hips, torso, head, shoulders, elbows, and hands.
• When you notice that your attention has wandered, let the thought go and gently bring your attention back to the sensation of heaviness in your body. Hold your awareness in that place.
• After 2-3 minutes, bring your awareness back to the outside world. When you are ready, open your eyes. Take a few moments to orient yourself to what is around you. Sit for a moment and reflect on how you feel.