5 Easy Ways to Add Meditation into Your Day

Even if you’ve never meditated before, aren’t sure if you have, or don’t have a regular meditation practice, these mindfulness meditations are for you! Perfect for an every day practice. Especially great for the days when you’re feeling foggy, stressed, or anxious and in search of a natural pick-me-up.

Sit outside.
Feeling overwhelmed? Over stimulated or bland? Step outside! Sit on a bench, under a tree, or directly on the earth. Look around. Notice what you see, hear, smell. Then, close your eyes and notice what you hear, smell, feel. Do not respond to any aromas, sounds or feelings. Simply listen, feel and notice. Stay here for awhile.

Breathe through your nose.
As adults, many of us become mouth breathers or shallow, chest breathers. Disoriented breathing can irritate the throat and trigger anxiety. For this mindfulness exercise, set a gentle timer for 5-10 minutes. Bring your awareness to your breath. Close your eyes or bring your gaze down toward the ground to help you focus. Then, inhale and exhale through your nose. Notice where you notice your breath the most. Perhaps at the nose, back of the throat, chest, or belly. Watch your breath flowing in and out of that area of your body until your timer goes off. Gently come out of your practice and back to the room around you.

Drink with awareness.
It’s so easy to rush through the day and not notice, or enjoy, the simple pleasure of a warm beverage. For this practice, take note as you prepare, smell, feel, and sip your drink. How does it feel to hold the mug in your hand? To feel the warmth of the drink on your fingers? What aromas do you notice? What feelings arise as you hold your mug and take a breath? Blow a simple blow across the top of your mug to cool the drink before taking a tiny sip. Mmmmm. What do you notice as the drink passes across your tongue and down your throat? Enhance the experience by trying different beverages such as hot lemon and honey water, tea, or coffee. Then notice any differences between them. Which beverage do you lean toward? Which one encourages calm? Alertness? Excitement? Nourishment? Choose the beverage that fits your needs each day.

Walk barefoot.
In my home, we remove our shoes at the doorway and spend most of the time barefoot or in slipper socks. I wonder if you do the same? How often do you actually walk around barefooted, noticing the feeling of your feet on the ground? The gentle pressure of your heel, the pad of your foot and toes as they walk across the Earth? For this walking meditation, remove your shoes and walk barefoot - either across the room, or outside. Notice how it feels to have direct contact of your foot on the ground beneath you. Walk slowly, each foot stepping ahead of the one before. Notice that the ground supports you as you walk, that your toes spread. Once you’ve walked across the room, stand in stillness for a few moments before putting your socks or shoes back on.

Give a hug.
Ahhh a warm embrace! Give a hug today and fully enjoy the embrace. Notice the gentle squeeze. The warmth of your counterpart’s body. The feeling of being embraced by another - even if only for a moment or two. This meditative practice is one of both giving and receiving. Notice how it feels to whole-heartedly give and to receive in return.

I’m curious, which simple meditation are you going to practice today?

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In health,
Lindsay Coward, MPH, Founder of Yoga Nut