A Mindfulness Minute | Counselling & Personal Development Service

A Mindfulness Minute 

With 1,440 minutes in every day it is very doable for us all to take a minute a day to practice mindfulness. You don¡¯t have to be in any particular place or have any special equipment to practice. You can literally do this on the bus, waiting in a queue, before getting up or going to sleep, waiting for the computer to boost, waiting for the printer to print etc.

However you may find it somewhat challenging to start with. Just sitting still for a few seconds can feel strange when you are used to the adrenaline buzz of dashing around! So it is helpful to persist and it is best to start by practicing this in a quite space until you get the hang of it.

One Minute Mindfulness Practice

1) Begin by sitting in a chair with your feet square on the floor in front of you. Sit away from the back of the chair so your spin is self supporting erect through not rigid. Let your shoulders relax. Close your eyes if that feels comfortable. If not, let your gaze fall unfocused on the floor four or five feet in front of you.

2) Bring your focus to your breathe. Be aware of how your breathe is, is it deep or shallow? There is no need to change or control your breathing in any way. Notice the breath as it travels through your nose into your lungs and out through your mouth in its own natural way. Do this for a few breaths.

Then, when you are ready bring your attention to your navel. Now as you inhale feel your tummy rising and as you exhale feel it falling¡­..rising and falling.

Allow your attention to settle on the full length of the breath. It may help to notice it by saying ¡°in¡± as you inhale and ¡°out¡±  as you exhale.  

As best you can stay in touch with the changing sensation for the full duration of the in breath and the full duration of the out-breath, perhaps noticing the slight pauses between the end of an out-breath and the beginning of the following in-breath and between the end of an in-breath and the beginning of the next out breath.

3) Your mind may wander away as it does from the focus on the breath, getting caught up in thinking, planning, day dreaming etc. When this happens simply notice it and gently escort your attention back to your breath. You may have to do this a few times during your one minute practice but this is perfectly fine.

4) When you feel a minute has passed bring your attention back to the room or place you are in. Open your eyes if closed and allow a few seconds to gently reconnect with the world. When to Practice

When to Practice

Mindfulness Minutes - Where and When

It might be useful, when you are starting to use "Mindfulness Minutes" to take 5 minutes every day.  You can use the table below at the beginning of the week to plan the times that you would like to take these minutes or as a way of recording the mindfulness minute practices you have taken.  You can write the time you took or plan to take in the space provided.