Mindfulness

Self-guided activities

Mindfulness – General Description

The practice of mindfulness has been linked to a range of positive outcomes such as physical health,
greater well-being, and reduced anxiety and depression. The basic principle behind mindfulness is
that often a lot of experiences are engaged with without being fully present or without being aware
of your own thoughts and feelings. Mindfulness allows you to practice being fully aware of yourself
and what happens around you. Anyone can do mindfulness exercises, and the practice of even short
exercises has been shown to be of great benefit. Below are a number of text based and audio
mindfulness exercises that are easy to follow. Please do as many of them as you like, and return to
them as often as you like.

Be Mindful of What’s Around You

It is very easy to go about life as if on automatic pilot, often in a state of high stress, and just pushing
on without really taking a step back and notice of how we feel, what is around us, and what might be
a better response to circumstances. This next exercise is a short set of steps aimed at slowing down,
and becoming more mindful of what is around us.

Please take 20 seconds to slow yourself down by focusing on your breath. Now, go through these
steps one by one (it may seem a little uncomfortable or unusual, but do your best to complete the
steps).

1. Sight: Look around you and name 5 different objects. Now, look around you again and
name 4 objects. Now 3. Now 2. Now 1.
2. Sight & Touch: Look at, name, and touch 5 different objects, noticing their texture,
temperature, mass and weight as you do so.
3. Sight, Touch, and Smell: Look at, name, and smell 3 different objects, noticing their
colours, texture and aroma.
4. Hearing: Close your eyes and identify 5 different sounds. Now 4. Now 3. Now 2. Now 1.
 Notice how you felt immediately after completing one of these exercises. Were some
activities better than others? How was the experience for you? Did you find anything
difficult about this experience? How would you overcome any difficulties you experienced?

Mindfulness exercises like this can help bring us into the present moment and can help us
slow down and be more aware of how we are feeling.

Be Mindful of Your Thoughts

In addition to being mindful of our environment, mindfulness about what is happening inside us is
also beneficial. Thoughts often occur automatically and we can wind up engaging with thoughts and
feelings throughout the day that may get in the way of our work and leave us feeling unhappy or
unmotivated.

We often treat thoughts as if they are facts. For example: “I am no good at this,” “He’s is an idiot,”
“Nobody understands me,” “I am brilliant,” etc. When we have a thought many times it can
condense into a belief. A belief is just a thought or thoughts that you have a lot of the time. Beliefs
can then be taken as facts. When certain thoughts become facts we can become caught up them
and they can govern what we do and how we feel. Instead, when we start to pay attention to our
thoughts with a gentle curiosity, then we start to think about thinking (meta-cognition) and we move
away from believing that the thought is a fact and see it for what it really is – just a thought.

Please complete the following exercise aimed at seeing your thoughts as thoughts, not facts.

1. Sit still on your chair so that you feel comfortable.

2. As you sit still bring your awareness to your breath. Be aware of your breath as it fills
your lungs and expands you abdomen, and then leaves your body.
3. Now, slowly allow yourself to notice any thoughts that come into your head as you are
aware of your breathing.
4. Take notice, pay attention, and accept these thoughts, without making a judgment on
them. Thoughts are not bad or good, positive or negative, they just are what they are –
the thought that you happen to be having at this particular moment. This space can be
thought of as being the ‘observer’ of your thoughts.
5. Watch your thoughts as they rise and fall into your awareness, you may struggle with
this as it is easy and tempting to engage with your thoughts. If you notice yourself
engaging with thoughts, just bring yourself back to being the observer. Engaging with
 your thoughts is what we normally or often practice so don’t despair if this happens, just
bring your attention back to being an observer of your thoughts rather than an examiner.

Some people like the metaphor of allowing the thoughts to just float like leaves on a stream,
or clouds in a sky, noticing each passing thought and then the one that comes after it, and
then the one that comes after that.

You may notice that just at the moment you become aware of a thought, it passes and is
replaced by another thought. That’s what happens – thoughts come, and they go. After a
few minutes, bring yourself back to awareness of the breath

How did you find this exercise? What was it like being the ‘observer’? Do you think it could
be possible to be the observer, even when you are having difficult thoughts?

This can be a powerful exercise. When we can be the observer of our thoughts we no longer
have to unconsciously follow them. This can allow us to respond to situations rather than
react, and to evaluate which thoughts are helpful and which aren’t.

De-Stressing Exercise

One of the potential benefits on mindfulness practice is reduced stress. By bringing yourself into the
moment and being aware of your thoughts and feelings without attaching to them, you can be more
grounded in the present without becoming attached to the stressful thoughts and feelings of your
life situation.

Please complete the following exercise (if this seems a little difficult at first do your best to follow
each of the steps and keep trying).

Bring yourself into the present by deliberately adopting a straight posture (don’t lean or
slouch as you sit). Feel yourself slow down. Now ask yourself:

"What is going on for me at the moment?"

You may get a range of answers to that question, but simply be aware of what arises,
observe any thoughts or feelings, label them and let them float away. Do not judge these
 thoughts or yourself, just let them come and go. Do this for a few minutes then draw your
attention to how you are feeling. Notice if you feel stress, anxiety, if you feel fast or slow, if
you are tired, happy etc.

Do your best to observe everything that is happening inside you and let it float away without
engaging with it.

Be aware that as you are observing yourself, there is a subtle feeling of peace from which
you observe everything.

If you become aware of emotions or memories of uncomfortable events, don’t allow

yourself to become caught up by them, just give them short labels such as “sadness” or
“anger” and then just allow them to drift or float away. These memories and feelings will
gradually decrease in intensity and frequency.

With practice you will begin to identify yourself as an objective observer or witness of your
thoughts and feelings, rather than a person who is automatically disturbed by them. This
requires practice but can then be used whenever you are stressed.

Compassion Mindfulness

Compassion is that sense of deep and abiding care that you can feel towards another human being;
a sense that you wish no harm to come to that person and a feeling of holding them in kindness and
care. Sometimes it is possible to get a sense of that feeling by imaging how a parent may feel
towards their child. Please take some time and complete the following compassion mindfulness
exercise.

Take a moment to slow down, and allow yourself to notice your breathing. Do not feel that
you have to do anything to your breathing – just become aware of it. Be curious and
attentive to the physical sensations of breathing in and breathing out.

Allow yourself to bring your awareness and attention to that feeling of compassion, loving
kindness, or deep and abiding care and concern. Bring to mind someone in your life who is
dear and precious to you. Imagine yourself wrapping this person up in that feeling.

Allow yourself to have the following thoughts towards this person:

 • May this person know a decrease in distress
• May this person know peace and tranquillity – even for a short time
• May this person know happiness and joy – even for a short time
• May this person be able to deal with their suffering

Continue to imagine this person, holding them in your mind and sending the image of them
these loving, kind, and compassionate thoughts. Notice how this feels in your body. What
are the physical sensations that come to you when you connect with feelings of loving
kindness and compassion? What are the images and thoughts that come? Just notice these
thoughts, physical sensations and emotions – note them with gentle curiosity, without
judgment.

Now, if you can, see if you can direct some of that loving kindness, compassion, and deep
abiding care towards yourself. See whether you can have the following thoughts for yourself:

• May I know a decrease in distress

• May I know some peace and tranquillity in my life – even for a short time
• May I know some happiness and joy – even for a short time
• May I be confident that I can deal with my own suffering

Now bring your attention, mindfulness, and awareness back to your breath. Notice your
inward and outward breath for a few moments.

What was it like to connect with a feeling of compassion?

How did it feel to show yourself compassion?

Showing yourself compassions can be one the most important things in your life. By being
compassionate towards yourself you stop judging and criticising yourself and eliminate any
unnecessary suffering.
Walking Mindfulness Meditation

Walking meditation is perhaps one of the most accessible forms of meditation. Often when
meditating in a still position the body becomes restless and demands the focus of the mind. When
we are walking, the body is already in motion and can be used as an aide for mindfulness. Walking
meditation can bring calmness and peace while you practice it and it can be done at any time and for
any period of time. Please read the following exercise to assist you in walking mindfully.

The next time you go for a walk (soon after reading this is preferable) keep in mind the following
instructions.

• When you begin walking do so with an active willingness to be present, aware, and
mindful of yourself and your surrounds.

• It is best if the road is not too rough or too steep. Better still; find a park or walking
track. Slow down and concentrate on your steps. Be aware of each move. Walk
straight ahead with eyes fixed in the distance, calmly, and confidently. Consciously
make an imprint on the ground as you step. Be aware of your body and how it
moves when it walks. Be aware of how the ground feels underneath your feet.

• As you walk expand your focus and gently take in everything around you. Look at
the trees, the people and the ground. Listen to the sounds around you. Feel the
stillness inside you connect with the stillness around you.

• If you notice your mind drifting off and engaging with thoughts, that’s ok, let them
come and go without attaching to them and bring your attention back to your steps.

• Walking meditation is not about getting to the destination but is about the act of
walking itself. There is no goal of the walk other than the walking itself.

• Begin to feel truly at ease with yourself as you walk. Your steps can be those of the
healthiest, most secure person on earth. Let your sorrows and worries drop away
while you are walking.

Walking mindfulness meditation can be a very pleasurable experience and can result in you
feeling calm and a sense of aliveness. You can do this anytime you need to walk. All it takes is
the active willingness to engage with your walking mindfully. Now, go and try it or, at least,
commit to a time when you will.
Mindfulness Meditations – Audio Files

Here are some audio files of mindfulness meditations. Before you begin, make sure you are in a
space with little interruption and where you feel comfortable. Practice as many as you can.

Brief Mindfulness Practice (4min 5seconds) – general mindfulness exercise drawing

attention to yourself and your surrounds. Padraig O’Morain

Awareness of Sound (3mins) – Mindfulness on taking in the sounds around you - Peter
Morgan – Free Mindfulness

Awareness of Breath (3mins) – Peter Morgan – Free Mindfulness

Awareness of Breath (5mins) – Life Happens

Awareness of Body (4mins) – Melbourne Mindfulness Centre& Still Mind

Mountain Meditation (7min 15seconds). Meditation on the impermanence of things – Peter

Morgan – Adapted from Jon Kabat Zinn

Breath, Body & Sound (12mins) – Mindful Awareness Research Centre UCLA