When you work your muscles at the gym, you're strengthening them so they are prepped and ready for whenever you need them.
Mindfulness exercises work the same way.
Practicing mindfulness consistently builds skills you can use when you need them most—during times of stress, when emotions are high, or when you’re tuning into your body's hunger cues.
Jon Kabat-Zinn (founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) defines mindfulness as paying attention to the present moment without judgment and on purpose.
Let's break down what these words mean and how they can impact your daily life.
✨ Paying Attention to the Present Moment
Isn’t that what makes life so beautiful—when we take the time to notice it? Mindfulness invites us to embrace and fully experience what’s in front of us, moment by moment.
✨ Without Judgment
This is HUGE. I am constantly reminding myself to just let. things. be. Exactly as they are. Neutrally. Objectively. In a world where we instinctively attach labels and value to everything, from body size to career choices, mindfulness gives us space to release judgment and simply be with what is.
✨ On Purpose
It’s easy to live on autopilot, especially with your daily routines. But choosing to be mindful in these moments is a conscious act—a choice to be aware.
Here are five of my favorite mindfulness practices that make it easy to bring more peace and intention into your life.
5 Easy Mindfulness Practices
Square Breathing
This is my go-to mindfulness exercise because you can do it anywhere. It’s discreet and super effective for calming your nervous system or quieting an active mind before bed.
Square breathing: Inhale for 4 seconds, HOLD for 4 seconds, Exhale for 4 seconds, HOLD for 4 seconds. Repeat.
Holding your breath at the top and bottom of each breath helps you stay more connected to the rhythm than if you were just breathing in and out.
Try tapping your index finger four times to stay on beat and provide an extra focal point. Adding a tactile element like this can help if you’re struggling to stay present.
Square breathing is perfect for grounding yourself when you’re dysregulated or before a big moment—an audition, interview, or challenging conversation. Beyond just slowing down your breath, it sends a clear message to your body: "You’re safe."
Body Scan
Not gonna lie, one of my favorite things about body scans is that you get to lie down and relax.
A body scan is about scanning your attention through your body—often starting at your toes and moving up to your head.
You can guide yourself, but I prefer using a guided meditation so I can fully relax without having to guide myself through it and get distracted. Body scans are wonderful for noticing where you hold tension or spotting emotional energy you hadn’t realized was there.
Five senses exercise
One of the easiest ways to become more mindful is to tune in to your five senses.
My favorite place to do this is outside, where there tends to be more stimuli for my senses. No matter where you are—whether surrounded by nature or city noise—you can bring your awareness to the present by noticing:
✨ What do you FEEL? A breeze? Sunshine? Cool air?
✨ What do you HEAR? Birds? Cars? Rustling leaves?
✨ What do you SEE? Describe specific sights around you.
✨ What do you SMELL? Fresh grass? A bakery nearby?
✨ What do you TASTE? Maybe nothing, or maybe it’s gum or coffee.
I love this exercise, especially when I’m waiting for someone and have a few extra minutes. It takes less than a minute and is perfect for a quick grounding moment.
Loving Kindness Meditation
I first learned about loving-kindness meditation during grad school, and it’s such a beautiful, heart-opening practice. It’s a way to cultivate compassion—for yourself, for others, and the world. I find that when I start my day with loving-kindness, I walk through the world with a more open heart.
Loving-kindness meditation involves repeating phrases of… you guessed it… loving-kindness towards yourself, others, and the world.
Find a comfortable seated position or lay down, take some deep breaths, find your center, and begin repeating the phrases below to yourself (internally or out loud).
Here’s an example flow:
For yourself: Imagine yourself in your mind’s eye and say:
May I be happy.
May I be free.
May I be healthy.
May I live with ease.
May I be safe.
For a loved one: Picture someone dear to you and offer them these same phrases.
May you be happy.
May you be free.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
May you be safe.
For a stranger or neutral person: This could be someone you don’t know well, like your postman or Target cashier.
May you be happy.
May you be free.
May you be healthy.
May you live with ease.
May you be safe.
For the world at large: Extend love and compassion for all beings.
May all beings be happy.
May all beings be free.
May all beings be healthy.
May all beings live with ease.
May all beings be safe.
That’s it! Loving-kindness meditation can be incredibly transformative, and I highly recommend trying it.
Simple Yoga Sequence
My other favorite way to bring more mindfulness into my life is through yoga. For me, yoga is a spiritual practice and a way to connect with my body and quiet my mind.
A favorite sequence of mine is the Sun Salutation, which follows a repeatable flow of movements that wake up the body and release tension.
Try this video for a traditional sun salutation at home.
You now have five powerful ways to bring mindfulness into your life. Remember, mindfulness is a practice—each small moment you spend being present adds up, building a stronger foundation for handling stress and connecting with yourself.
Which one will you try first?