Mindfulness and Movement: Implementing mindfulness and yoga in daily life and how it may help improve our general wellbeing

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing greater awareness and attention to the present moment, while maintaining a non-judgmental attitude.

Employing mindfulness and staying physically active are effective ways for individuals to maintain and improve their cognitive, physical, and emotional well-being.

Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) is a commonly used intervention to foster mental well-being and reduce psychological distress; subsequently improving our quality of life and social functioning. MBSR encompasses mindfulness based physical and mental exercises, such as body scan meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga.

Body scan meditation allows us to pay attention to our body and its sensations in a sequential manner, where we mentally sweep our attention from head to toe. In mindful breathing, we practice staying present; focusing on the rise and fall of our abdomen, allowing our stream of thoughts and distractions to flow through our mind in a non-judgmental and accepting manner.

Yoga encourages us to be more attentive to the sensations and movements of our body. We are able to employ the meditative practices stated above and move through a series of postures to build awareness, strength, balance, and flexibility.

Below, I have listed a few simple stretches that we can do while we practice mindfulness:  

• Seated cat camel

• Trunk rotation

• Trunk lateral flexion

• Foward flexion against desk

• Seated glute stretch

• Neck stretches

To find out more about the practice of mindfulness and how to incorporate yoga and movement into your daily life, book an appointment with the Exercise Physiology team here at PDC Health Hub.

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