Mindfulness Meditation: Let It Go and Flow
We are on a mission to help make meditation more accessible. We’ve highlighted yoga as a moving meditation and mantra meditation – two different ways to approach creating your own meditation practice. This week, we’d like to share the third option in our series: mindfulness meditation.
Mindfulness meditation is like hitting a pause button on life so you can be fully engaged in the present moment. The focus is less on letting go and more about observation without judgment. You are giving your brain a chance to break from the constant chatter, rules, and to-do lists and gently notice what’s happening in your body, mind and the world around you.
What makes mindfulness meditation especially beneficial is that it creates space. Space to respond instead of react and space to feel your emotions without getting lost in them. It’s a practice that can reduce stress, improve focus, and help you find a sense of calm (even when your mind feels like a whirlwind). You don’t need a special setting or a specific time to practice mindfulness meditation. You can bring it naturally into just about any part of your day, whether you’re stretching on your yoga mat, eating breakfast, driving to the store, stuck in traffic, late for a meeting, or trying to soothe a crying toddler. Whatever it is, instead of blocking these things out, you practice tuning in fully to whatever is happening – just as it is, moment by moment.
Maybe you tune into the sensation of your feet on the mat or the way your breath feels as it enters and leaves your body. Or, maybe you notice tension in your body or thoughts that come and go. Maybe you notice feelings of frustration, sadness or joy bubbling up. The magic happens when you stop trying to rush past them and allow yourself to be aware.
On your mat at TGY, mindfulness meditation can deepen the connection between your body and mind. Instead of letting your thoughts drift to what’s for dinner or dwell on that meeting you had at work, you focus instead on how your body feels in each pose, flowing through your practice with full awareness of every stretch, breath, and sensation. You notice and let go, notice and sink in, notice and breathe. This shift in awareness makes each movement more intentional. Maybe you notice the way your fingertips feel against the mat in downward-facing dog, or the ebb and flow of your breath as you move from one posture to the next. This kind of focus can help you stay grounded and present, even in challenging poses, where your mind might otherwise start to wander.
Off the mat, mindfulness meditation can help you build a habit of being present. It allows you to observe in real time without the need to change the flow of your thoughts or emotions or steer them in a particular direction. This allows you to open your awareness to the abundance of goodness around and within you.
Eating a meal? Notice how your food tastes, how it smells, its texture. Slow down and take time to chew and appreciate each bite. Washing dishes? Feel the warm water on your hands and notice the slip of the soap and the different sounds of the plates and utensils as they are washed and rinsed. Walking the dog? Pay attention to the rhythm of your steps, your dog’s happy trot, and the white puffs of cloud in the blueness of a sunny day. By practicing mindfulness in these small moments, you can enjoy them, find gratitude for the everyday things, and stress less about the tough stuff. It’s like sitting on the edge of a river and watching the water go by—sometimes it’s calm, sometimes it ripples, and sometimes it rushes by in a fury of foam, but your job is simply to watch it flow.
If you are excited to give this a try, here is a simple, five-minute mindfulness meditation that you can try at home:
- Start by finding a comfortable place to sit, whether that’s on the floor, a cushion, or a chair. You want to feel supported yet relaxed. Close your eyes gently or keep them softly focused on a spot in front of you.
- Take a deep breath in through your nose, allowing your belly to expand as you fill your lungs. Then slowly exhale through your mouth. Repeat this a couple of times, feeling the sensation of your breath as it moves in and out.
- Slowly, let your breath return to its natural rhythm, and shift your focus to the present moment.
- Begin to notice your body. Feel the weight of your body against the ground or the chair, the points of contact where your feet touch the floor or where your hands rest in your lap. You don’t need to do anything—just observe the sensation of sitting here, right now.
- Now, turn your attention to your breath. Without trying to change it, notice where you feel the breath most clearly. It might be the rise and fall of your chest or belly, or the feeling of air passing through your nose. Stay with this sensation, letting your mind settle into the rhythm of your breath.
- As you sit, your mind will naturally wander. This is normal! Simply notice where your thoughts have drifted, then gently guide your attention back to your breath. You’re not trying to block out your thoughts, just observe them and return to the breath.
- After a few minutes, begin to expand your awareness to the rest of your body again. Notice any areas of tension or relaxation, how the air feels against your skin, or any sounds you hear in the room. Again, just observe without judgment.
- When you’re ready, take a deep breath in and slowly open your eyes. Take a moment before moving on with your day, noticing how you feel compared to when you started.
Mindfulness meditations like this one benefit both your body and mind in powerful ways. On a physical level, it helps reduce stress by lowering the levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. It can also improve sleep quality, lower blood pressure, and even boost your immune system. By helping you to focus on the present, mindfulness meditation reduces the fight-or-flight response that often arises from thinking about the past or future, helping your body return to a state of calm.
Mentally, mindfulness meditation enhances your ability to focus and concentrate. It helps train your brain to come back to the present moment, strengthening your attention span over time. It can also help manage anxiety and depression by breaking the cycle of thoughts you are dwelling on. Rather than being overwhelmed by emotions, mindfulness allows you to observe them from a distance. This sense of mental clarity and emotional balance can make everyday challenges feel less overwhelming.
Practicing mindfulness meditation doesn’t ask us to form an intention, hold a pose, breath at a certain pace, or focus on one thing. We don’t really even have to be particularly still or quiet. Instead, we are encouraged to discover what each moment holds. As we do so, we learn more about ourselves, how to cope, and how to improve and value our overall well-being. As author and mindfulness teacher James Baraz says, “Mindfulness is simply being aware of what is happening right now without wishing it were different; enjoying the pleasant without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” We learn to hold a moment in our hands and acknowledge it without wishing it away, allowing us to go through, get through, and grow through each one with grit and grace. And, that’s what we’re all about here at TGY.
We hope that over the past few weeks we have given you the chance to look at meditation in a new light or to approach it in a different way to help you personalize your own practice. And, if you still haven’t found your groove and need help or would like to know more about yoga as meditation, mantra meditation, mindfulness meditation, or other forms of meditation, we’d love to meet with you to talk more. Feel free to stop by the studio, reach out here on the Web site, or contact us at 608-318-1848 or email at info@twistedgrityoga.com. Come learn to let it go and flow with us!