New to mindfulness meditation? This is a simple mindfulness exercise to start the year. Read on, below!
Begin in a comfortable seated position. Feel the weight of your sitting bones against your yoga mat or your chair, and feel your spine in a long, upright position. Scan your body from the top of your head all the way down to the tips of your toes.
Take one hand onto your belly, and another hand onto your chest. How is the rhythm and depth of your breath today? Simply feel the gentle, but steady expansion of your breath across your belly, ribcage, and chest.
When you are ready, take your hands back to your knees or your lap. Observe your surroundings. What can you see? Perhaps you are sitting in your bedroom or in your living room. Notice the stillness and calmness of your space, then take time to appreciate what you can see.
Then, close your eyes. Observe the sounds that you can hear around you. Perhaps you can hear birds twittering outside your window, or maybe the sound of automobiles rumbling at the road. Take time to observe the sounds that you can hear inside your room.
Remember that in the practice of mindfulness, we move away from judgment and enter a state of observation. If there are any unpleasant noises that you can hear, for example, try not to be upset or react to them. Simply observe.
Next, notice what you can feel. Observe, for example, the temperature of the room. Feel your clothes against your skin, or perhaps the backrest of the chair against your spine. Then, feel the contrasting textures that your body is in contact with, and appreciate this sense of touch.
Finally, notice what you can smell or taste. Are there any aromas in the room? Are there lingering flavors in your tongue? If there are none, simply acknowledge this and let it go.
Come back to your body and your breath. At last, when you are ready to end your meditation, open your eyes. A simple mindfulness exercise to start the year should help you feel ready to conquer 2021!
