How Mindful Movement Can Impact Your Life
Mindful movement is a way of approaching exercise and activities with intention and purpose. It allows us to practice in a meditative manner that doesn’t require us to sit in silence and allows us to also check in with our bodies. Through mindful movement, we become more aware of how our body feels, what emotions are present, and where we may be holding tension in our body.
Some of the benefits of mindful movement include:
- lowers stress
- releases stagnant energy
- improves mind-body connection
- increased self-esteem
- improved mood
Types of Mindful Movement
You don’t need to pick up Yoga in order to incorporate mindfulness in your everyday life. You can start to practice it with your favorite form of movement immediately. Some examples of mindful movement include:
- Walking
- Running
- Pilates
- Dancing
- Breathwork
- Strength training and other forms of vigorous exercise
How to practice mindfulness during movement
A simple way to start incorporating mindfulness into your current exercise routine is to begin noticing different areas of your body as focal points and how they move. If you are running, notice how your feet are hitting the ground. Notice how fast your steps are moving or how wide your strides are. Perhaps you come to your exercise routine today focusing primarily on your breath – how shallow or full it feels, the temperature, etc.
Resources
https://www.mindful.org/getting-started-with-mindful-movement/