How to practice mindful movement
Mindfulness is a huge topic of discussion these days as it should be. But a lot of people don’t truly understand it’s meaning. The thing is, we should be more mindful throughout every single day - but this proves difficult when you have a demanding or fast paced life. So one constant we can keep in our schedule is movement, and there is no reason that our daily exercise cannot incorporate mindfulness.
So in this blog post, I am going to give you 10 tips on how you can make your daily movement a mindfulness practice.
1) Set an intention
Before you practice yoga or do your next workout, ask yourself, “what am I hoping to gain or feel from this practice?”. Maybe you want to let go of negative thoughts on your daily walk, or feel stronger in your self by lifting weights at the gym. You don’t need to share the intention, it can be as unique as you would like, but moving your body with intent creates a connection between the body and mind that is so often ignored during our workouts.
2) Centering before you start
Even just for one minute, before you get into fitness mode, just take time to sit and breathe. Let the worries or intrusive thoughts pass, and bring your attention to the here and now, focus in on that intention that you set earlier. This makes your daily movement almost like a form of therapy, as you can let go of what troubles you and live in the present moment with yourself (it’s really freeing!).
3) No distractions
I am also one of these people that workout with headphones on but what if - and this might sound crazy - we done it without? We live in a world so consumed by distraction that we never really have time to be alone, there’s always something that occupies us. If you can’t practice without music that’s okay - just try not to look at your phone or your fitness watch and just BE with yourself in that moment.
4) Gratitude
Before you groan at the thought of doing your daily movement, just try to shift your perspective on it. It may feel silly, but expressing gratitude towards your fitness space for providing you with the necessary equipment, or your local park for it’s natural views you get to see on your walks, is a great way to practice mindful movement. Not to mention, making sure to be grateful ALWAYS for your healthy and able body that allows you to participate in all these sports and activities, is also super important.
5) Affirmations
When the going gets tough and your workout starts to get hard and you want to give up - this is when you need to bring all the positive vibes. Repeating affirmations to yourself internally (bonus if it’s in front of a mirror) things like, “I am so strong, I get better and better every time I practice”, helps to connect your movement with your thoughts.
6) Slow down
If you have time to do so, try to slow down your daily movement. Stop speed walking, rushing between sets at the gym, and cutting out breaks. Slow down and try to connect the body and mind through more controlled movements. This is something fitness instructors call ‘mind-muscle’ connection. If we can do this, then without knowing our workouts are a form of mindful movement.
7) Breathe
In classes like yoga and pilates, the instructor will often emphasise the importance of the breath, especially in the more difficult postures. The reason being is because it brings our focus back to the body and allows us to push through that little bit more. Not to mention, we need to breathe properly to keep us safe when practicing intense exercises - so don’t forget to check in with your breath every once in a while!
8) Non-judgement
Unfortunately, a lot of people workout because they don’t like the way they look, and that is their main reason for doing so ☹️. BUT what if we changed that and realised that movement is a privilege that not everyone has, and we should love and accept ourselves the way we are. It is normal to want to better ourselves, and we can do so having a disciplined fitness routine, but it is not normal, (and certainly NOT mindful), to hate ourselves to the point where exercise is a form of punishment…
9) Reflection
When you have finished your daily exercise, take a moment to reflect on how it made you feel. Come back to that intention you set, does it feel accomplished? Does your body feel different to when you begun and if it does, how so? Take a moment to breathe and reflect on what you have just achieved.
10) Journalling
If it helps, you can start a fitness journal where every day you move, you write a few lines in your diary or on your notes app about the experience. Whatever comes to mind, whatever ideas and thoughts you had during, and how you felt overall. Making an effort to connect with your mind this way is an act of mindfulness that sounds easy, but a lot of us will find hard, as we are so used to burying our head in the sand and shutting off our awareness. This exercise changes that.
Try these tips next time you workout!🩷
