- Reduced Stress: Improved ability to manage stress
- Increased Focus: Improved ability to pay attention, focus and concentrate
- Increased Emotional Intelligence: Improved conflict resolution skills
- Increased Empathy and Respect: Increased empathy and understanding of others
- Increased Resilience: Increased capacity to overcome challenges
- Improved Physical Well-being: Increased engagement in physical activity
- Improved Creativity & Collaboration: Improved expression of creative arts.
One Minute Mindfulness
Below is a guide to 1 minute mindfulness. Try and do this at least 4 times a day. Increasing when you feel ready from 1 minute to 2 minutes. For the first few days please try setting a timer.
This is a short practice intended for doing in the middle of the day, wherever you are out in the world, for settling. It’s done with eyes open. So let’s begin.
- Settle into your seat. Begin by taking a seat, or if necessary, standing. The important thing is to feel where your body is touching the seat and touching the ground.
- Scan the body. Sense where your bottom is touching the seat. Sit up straight or stand straight but not stiff. Make sure your feet are completely touching the ground, connecting you to the earth. Your eyes are open, so take in the surroundings of where you are. Lower your gaze slightly.
- Connect with the breath. Pay light attention to your breath as it goes out.
- Follow the out-breath. At the end of the out-breath, let there be a gap while the in-breath is happening. And in that gap you have natural awareness: it’s there already, you don’t have to create it. So, follow the breath out, and out, and out. As thoughts arise, treat them as you would anything else you encounter: Notice it, and use that noticing to bring you back to the out-breath and ride it out. Out, and out, and out.
Mindful Sleep Tips
- Buy an alarm clock (instead of using your phone)
- Switch off technology at least 20 minutes prior to going to sleep
- Place your phone away from bed (still in your bedroom for emergency calls but not next to you)
- Sit on your bed and complete 2 minutes mindful breathing (this is to relax you before you get into bed. If you feel comfortable trying doing it for more than 2 minutes)
- Climb into bed and let your body fully relax into your bed
- Make yourself comfortable
- Think about a place or situation in which you feel calm
- Imagine with all your senses. If you are thinking of a beach, think about how the sand feels or the water smells
- Repeat your 2 minutes mindfulness
- If your sleep is disturbed continue to visualise a place or situation which you feel calm. Continue with focusing on your breathing and clearing your mind of negative thoughts