For more mindfulness – exercises for beginners

Do you know that frustrating feeling of constantly rushing from one appointment to the next, constantly trying to manage the balancing act between family and work life? The children have to be looked after, food has to be cooked, friends have to be visited and work has to be done well, and on top of all that, the last tax return is due.
You are constantly running from one task to the next, only to lie on the couch at the end of the day completely exhausted and ask yourself: “Where am I in all of this?”
What if I told you that there is a way out of this hamster wheel? A way to get all your tasks done without losing yourself in the process, but rather to gain precious time for yourself and your loved ones.
This path is called mindfulness and you can find out how to do it here.

Find more air to breathe through mindfulness exercises

Imagine that your mind is a calm, clear lake, without any disturbing waves of thoughts. And what if you could access this state at any time?
This is exactly where the art of mindfulness comes in. Because mindfulness means consciously perceiving the present moment. Simply “being” without judging and without getting lost in thoughts about the past or the future. To consciously focus your attention on the here and now.
But why is this so important? Because mindfulness exercises such as conscious breathing, gentle meditation or mindful walking can help you to cultivate your inner calm and resilience. They can support your concentration, reduce stress hormones and promote a deeper connection to yourself.
By learning mindfulness, you train your brain to react less impulsively and deal with challenges more calmly. This opens the door to more clarity, serenity and joie de vivre.
However, it is important that you yourself are willing to follow this path and practise mindfulness regularly. We can only give you directions here and at our Ayurveda Resort Mandira. You must walk the path of your own accord.

Learning mindfulness – exercises to get you started

To help you get started, even as a beginner, we have collected a few mindfulness exercises for you. These simple exercises don’t take much time and are easy to learn.

1. The 3-senses exercise: seeing, hearing, feeling

This simple mindfulness exercise can be done anywhere. No matter whether you have just got up, are sitting in the office or have to bridge an unwanted waiting time.
For the first few times, however, it is best to find a quiet place. This will make it easier for you to focus your perception and become aware of your surroundings.
In general, this exercise can help you to be fully attentive in the here and now.
And this is how the mindfulness exercise works:

This simple mindfulness exercise can be done anywhere. No matter whether you have just got up, are sitting in the office or have to bridge an unwanted waiting time.
For the first few times, however, it is best to find a quiet place. This will make it easier for you to focus your perception and become aware of your surroundings.
In general, this exercise can help you to be fully attentive in the here and now.
And this is how the mindfulness exercise works:

1. close your eyes for a moment and take three deep breaths!
2. then slowly open your eyes and consciously focus on five things that you see! Perhaps it’s the grain of the wooden table in front of you, the soft flickering of a candle, the particular shape of a cloud on the horizon or your colleague’s curly locks?
3. consciously take a moment to look very closely!
4. then close your eyes again and take three deep breaths!
5. Now pay attention to four sounds that you hear! This could be the distant humming of a fridge, the rhythmic ticking of a clock, the chirping of a bird or your own breathing.

• Concentrate fully on the particular sound that you want to consciously perceive. This works best with your eyes closed. Just a few seconds are enough to get you started. It is important that you manage to concentrate only on the sound.
• Finally, you will feel three things on your skin. This could be the fabric of your clothes, a cool breeze on your face or the firm ground under your feet. Many people also find it easier to consciously feel things with their eyes closed.

2. Mindful walking: Step by step to calmness

In this mindfulness exercise, you combine mindful awareness and perception of your surroundings with movement. This introductory exercise can be very helpful, especially for people who don’t like to sit still.
Here too, it makes sense to practise the exercise in a controlled environment first. You can then use it later on every walk or shopping trip.
Here’s how the exercise works:

1. stand upright and consciously feel your left foot touching the ground!
2. slowly take one step in front of the other and notice each individual movement: lifting, moving forward, putting down and rolling.
3. take as much time as if you were just taking your first steps!
4. walk in this way for a few minutes, without a goal, just to consciously perceive the movement.

3. The breath anchor: the power of deep breaths

This exercise helps you to keep a cool head in acute stress situations. However, it is also suitable for preventively calming down and preventing stress.

• To do this, find a comfortable position in a sitting or lying position!
• Then close your eyes and focus your attention on your breathing!
• Breathe in deeply through your nose, pause briefly and let the air out slowly through your mouth.
• Then hold your breath again briefly before breathing in deeply through your nose.
• Feel how your abdominal wall rises and falls! How your lungs fill and empty with air. How your ribcage rises and falls.

Learning mindfulness at all levels

Even these simple exercises can have a great effect. However, it is important that you make them a fixed part of your daily routine. This does not have to be in your morning routine, but should not be postponed at the end of the day either.
Because as is so often the case: Practice makes perfect.
If you would like more support on your path to a more mindful lifestyle, we recommend our short Ayurveda programs at the Ayurveda Resort Mandira.
Offers such as the two-day WOMAN-STAY – TIME TO BE A WOMAN, TIME FOR ME! program or the equally time-saving AYURVEDA TASTING program offer you the perfect opportunity to learn mindfulness away from the stresses of everyday life.
With the HOLISTIC SHORT STAY program, we also help you to reduce stress and find balance on all levels through soothing Ayurvedic treatments.
With us, you can train your mindfulness not only in the yoga and meditation courses, but also while mindfully enjoying the nourishing Ayurveda full board.
Mindfulness is an attitude to life that we promote at all levels. We are happy to support you in finding your way to more mindfulness.