A Formal Mindfulness Practice
We can practice mindfulness informally
by bringing our attention to everyday moments.
- Noticing the flavor and texture of each bite of food rather than eating while distracted.
- Feeling our emotions without judging or changing them.
- Walking and being aware of the complete felt sense experience of the walk.
And then we can practice mindfulness formally.
We practice formally to develop the habit of informal mindfulness.
To strengthen the neural connections in our brains that make us better able to live regularly in the present moment.
The FORMAL practice of mindfulness requires setting aside a period of time to practice present-moment attention.
We assume a mindful posture and notice when our minds become distracted and gently return our attention back to the practice. We may do this 10 times or 100 times per minute.
The act of bringing our attention BACK is mindfulness.
The Full Body Scan
We will now practice a full body scan. For this, you will need a quiet space where you can comfortably sit or lie down for 20 minutes.
Only have 5 minutes? Here is a shorter audio version.
Journal Question
What did you notice during this practice?