Here are 10 Mindfulness Exercises for Clarity + Calm
Being able to focus these days may seem like a superpower to develop. Yet focus begins with mindfulness. This has become a lost art in our digitally, stimulation dense world. I have struggled with coming home to myself in the present moment. That is why I began mindfulness practices to get back to when I feel my souls presence. The part of each of us that is profoundly silent experiencing your life. Mindfulness exercises are when you consciously bring all your attention to the present moment. Even when thoughts, emotions or interruptions arise you greet them with love and return back to the present moment. Setting an intentional approach to any activity throughout your day will help you increase the amount of presence. Your amount of presence throughout the day is such a better marker of satisfaction that any outer material thing.
Let’s get into 10 mindfulness exercises for clarity + calm in world that sets busy as the standard.
1. Box Breathing
Imagine a glowing box in your minds eye. With each breath, you’ll be focusing on a certain side of the box. To begin box breathing, take a deep inhale for 4 counts. Hold for 4 counts. Exhale for 4 counts. Hold again for 4 counts. During each of these steps visualize a glowing side of the box. Box Breathing is a simple way to calm and focus your mind with a mindful task.
2. Morning Tea Meditation
Brew your favorite tea. Preferably loose leaf tea - its just makes such a well rounded cup. Once you have your warm tea, sit with it. As the tea steeps, focus on the warmth of the cup and the aroma rising from the surface. Bring attention to your breath and the sensation of holding the cup. Slowly sip the tea, noticing, its flavor and boldness. As you drink, welcome our thoughts by letting them come and go - returning your focus to the tea, your breath and this present moment. Such a simple act sets the tone of your day.
3. Humming
Can you think while humming? I didn’t think so. That is why humming made the list. It is an underrated mindfulness practice that only requires a loving melody. I like to think of myself as a bumble bee when I hum, it helps me hum longer. Choose your favorite melody for a song that uplifts you. Consciously hum for 5-10mins. You can combine humming with other mindfulness practices on this list like a mindfulness walk, dancing or coloring. Notice who within you is noticing and feeling the fullness of the humming.
4. Mindfulness Walk
Wellness is monetized even though the most valuable forms of wellness are completely accessible and free. A mindfulness walk is a simple yet powerful practice that combines the grounding act of walking with the present-moment awareness of mindfulness. As you walk, focus on the sensation of each step—the feel of the ground beneath your feet, the rhythm of your breath, and the movement of your body. Pay attention to the sights, sounds, and smells around you without judgment or distraction. Each moment becomes an opportunity to be fully present, whether you are walking through nature, a park, or even a city street. You will begin to experience a clearer mind, a calm nervous system, and cultivate a sense of inner peace as you connect more deeply with the world around you.
5. Meal time Meditation
Being fully present with your meal will affect that rate of nutrition absorption in your digestive system, according to this study. Noticing the flavors, the textures, the smells, the colors, the cook, the farmers, the sun, the water, the farm, the dynamic ecosystem that brings this beautiful plate to your table. Infusing gratitude into this meal time meditation acknowledges the interconnectedness of our world. There can be no grain without the sun, rain, farmer, tools, insects, soil. You are quite literally eating the sun. Each cell in your body takes on the consciousness of your food. It is important to be around uplifting conversation, expansive vibration and stillness when possible. A Meal Time Meditation can be just what your day needs to bring more calm and clarity to your spirit.
6. Self Reiki Healing + Chakra balancing
Here is a mini Self-Reiki Chakra Balancing session you can try in just a few minutes. This is a practice to help you balance your energy centers, relax and promote mental clarity. You don't need any special tools — just a calm space, a quiet mind, and your hands (or mind).
For each energy center, you will place your palms on the area and mindfully send love energy. Begin with your Root chakra located at the base of your spine and associated with the color red. Imagine a glowing red illumination from your pelvic area. Repeat a loving affirmation to yourself, "You are safe." With each breath, your awareness and connection will increase.
Repeat the same visualization with each chakra + correlating color: Sacral Chakra - Orange Solar Plexus - Yellow Heart Chakra - Green Throat Chakra - Blue Third Eye - Indigo Crown Chakra - Purple
To complete this energy exercise, place both hands over your lower abdomen again, grounding the energy you've worked with. Visualize all the colors you've worked with blending into a peaceful flow of balanced energy throughout your body.
Learn more about the body's energy centers or chakras in this post, the Beginner's Guide to the Chakra System - click here.
7. Journaling
Writing is one of the ways you can express your inner thoughts and understand your actions. When you write, there is a deep mind-body connection that occurs. A journaling practice helps you share your truth and confront your shadow. There is really no 'one' way to journal. You can choose a free flow session that begins by writing down what naturally comes up or a more structured session, with questions.
Here are 5 journal prompts to help you cultivate inner calm + mental clarity:
- Am I blocking my peace? If so, in what ways?
- What is my inner voice telling me right now? What do I need to hear in this moment to restore clarity?
- What small, everyday moments bring you the most calm? How can you cultivate more of those moments?
- What thought or worry has been consuming my mind recently? How can I approach it with more clarity and calm?
- What am I feeling right now in my body and mind?
8. Dance Intuitively
You body communicates with you in subtle ways. Dancing intuitively is a beautiful way to connect with the body's wisdom and intuitive messages. From ancient drums, healing frequencies or smooth jazz, choose music that resonates with your soul and dance. Dance like you are the only one on earth. Dance like you are connecting to the love within you - because you are. Unlike structures choreography, Intuitive dancing allows the body to move freely and spontaneously, letting your body guide you rather than your mind. It can be an incredibly powerful tool for self-discovery, relaxation and emotional release.
9. Mindful Coloring
Mindful coloring is a simple yet effective practice that promotes mental clarity, calmness, and relaxation. You bring your focus on the present moment while coloring in intricate patterns or images, making it a form of mindfulness meditation. The repetitive motion of coloring is soothing and calms the nervous system. When paired with deep breathing, mindful coloring can being your body to a relaxing rhythm. Take a creative break from daily life with this coloring practice.
10. Nature Watching
Nature watching is a restorative activity based on the Attention Restoration Theory (ART), natural environments allow the brain to relax and recover from mental fatigue caused by constant focus and cognitive overload. Fully immersing yourself into the happenings in a natural environment. Whether you find yourself in a forest observing birds and small groundhogs, the waves of the ocean, the intricacies of an oak tree or the vastness of the desert. Look at your surroundings with a air of appreciation. Because there is holiness in every thing you see. Taking the time to connect with nature will have a profound effect on your life.
I trust these mindfulness exercises will help you connect with the silence within you. Practicing mindfulness with a heart full of love and eagerness to explore the present moment will bring you closer to your SOUL. With all the things you could be using your consciousness for, you took time to read my work. I am grateful for your existence.
Till the next one ~ Sai 🪬
