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Mindfulness Exercises!
Mindfulness is non-judgmental awareness of your present moment experience. Simple, but not easy. I'm here to help.
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Free Mindfulness Exercises, Meditations & Courses
Browse our collection of free mindfulness trainings, meditation scripts and mindfulness worksheets.
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Sean is a wonderful teacher, well practiced in the teachings of mindfulness and compassion, dedicated and thoughtful.
Jack Kornfield - best-selling mindfulness author
About Mindfulness Exercises
Sean Fargo talks about why he created this free resource.
When we look at the struggles we’re up against, it is easy to become overwhelmed, stressed and anxious. It can be difficult to know how to stay balanced while the world shifts faster than it ever has before. Through my own years of mindfulness research and training, I’ve come to understand that mindfulness is often the missing piece of our experience.
Why are mindfulness exercises so important?
Mindfulness is a bridge that grants us with a deeper understanding of whatever is currently present within and around us. With anxiety, depression, and stress prevalent across the globe, mindfulness practice has never been more necessary than it is today.
“Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns...We may want to love other people without holding back, to feel authentic, to breathe in the beauty around us, to dance and sing. Yet each day we listen to inner voices that keep our life small.”
Why practice mindfulness exercises?
By exploring and practicing a variety of mindfulness exercises, we enhance our understanding of our internal and external experience. Coming from a less-than-mindful background myself, I appreciate having a first-hand understanding of the power that mindfulness practice can have.
Many years ago, I travelled to Asia where I became deeply inspired by the masters and monks who I met along the path. Their presence was radiant and deeply touching. I thought to myself: By the time my years on this planet are up, I hope to have cultivated these skills of presence, care, and acceptance.
In addition, I spent two years as a Buddhist Monk and then five years at Spirit Rock Meditation Center where I worked with Jack Kornfield and many other great mindfulness teachers. As a result, this deep mindfulness training enhanced my understanding of how to integrate mindfulness into daily life.
Since then, I’ve worked individuals in one-on-one settings, in healthcare settings, corporate settings, and prisons. Through this work, I have seen many ways that mindfulness can inspire, heal, and bring balance to life. It is my mission to share mindfulness with as many people as possible. This is why I am committed to sharing these free mindfulness exercises with the world.
What types of mindfulness exercises can I find here?
The types of practices and resources that are available through Mindfulness Exercises are about as varied as we are as individuals. Some of the types of practices you might explore include:
Within each of these broad categories, numerous varied techniques and themes are available, including:
Who are mindfulness exercises for?
Mindfulness exercises can be practiced by anyone, and they can be incorporated into a wide range of settings. Whether you’re a student, a teacher, a parent, or a CEO, mindfulness exercises can enhance wellbeing on both personal and collective levels.
Mindfulness exercises can be used by individuals looking to develop their awareness in their own way and on their own schedule. Free resources provide the guidance you need exactly when you need it.
Regardless of the type of health and wellness services you provide, mindfulness exercises can be incorporated to either enhance your client or patient’s self-awareness. As we develop our own mindful presence and awareness, we gain the skills required to connect deeply and profoundly with those we are working with.
When brought into professional settings, mindfulness exercises enhance wellbeing of the workplace. Productivity, focus, creativity, and employee wellbeing increase, enhancing both individual and organizational success.
Mindfulness practice has great benefits in educational settings, whether conventional or unconventional. By offering these gifts to others, children included, we inspire a mindful future for the generations behind us.
Where should I start?
Your starting point on Mindfulness Exercises will depend upon your personal experience with mindfulness. With over 1,800 free mindfulness exercises, there are numerous routes to consider. Begin or continue your inner exploration from wherever you are presently at.
If you’re a beginner, you might consider:
If you have a bit of experience with mindfulness, you might consider:
If you are an intermediate to advanced practitioner, you might consider:
Beginning with the basics
Unlike many skills we might practice in our daily life, mindfulness has no prerequisites. Whether you’ve been practicing mindfulness meditation for five years or five minutes, mindfulness meets you exactly where you are and holds no expectations.
Mindfulness can be explored through formal meditations, guided mindfulness exercises, or simply by drawing our full attention to whatever we are doing or thinking.
Therefore, these mindfulness exercises for beginners are practices we can carry with us even as we become more advanced practitioners. They serve as reminders to ‘drop in’ to each and every moment of our lives.
Five simple mindfulness practices you can adopt into your daily routine include:
5 Mindfulness Exercises for Beginners
1. Breath awareness
If you have ever caught yourself unconsciously holding your breath, you’re not alone. Often, when we are stressed out or mentally preoccupied with our thoughts, our breathing patterns become shallow, sometimes pausing all together.
To practice mindful breathing, set a timer for two minutes, close your eyes, and draw your attention to your breath. Without forcing your breath in any direction, simply witness the flow of air into and out of your lungs. Note any observable qualities or sensations. Liken your breath to an anchor, rooting you affirmatively into the present moment.
2. Body scanning
At the end of the day, or at any other time you have an opportunity to rest flat on your back, use your physical body as a tool to practice mindfulness. This body scan can also be practiced in a seated position, though beginners might find it helpful to lie down.
Begin by settling into the space through mindful breath awareness and then draw your attention to your toes. Breathe into this area of the body, witnessing it exactly as it is, and then release your attention on the exhalation. Continue this witnessing and releasing as you scan the entire body. Start with your toes. Slowly scan toward the crown of your head. Then, hold your entire physical being in mindful awareness for another few breaths.
3. Mindful listening
During any interaction we have in the day, we can practice mindful listening to help foster healthy, respectful, and compassionate relationships. As we become better listeners, we are likely to find that others also move in the same direction.
When another is speaking, see if you can tune in more attentively to what is being spoken. Notice the subtle energies that are unspoken. Listen to hear and to understand, rather than to respond, defend, or to be heard. Notice how your interpersonal relationships shift.
4. Mindfulness of emotions
Becoming mindful of our emotions is an exercise that can empower and deepen the relationship we have with ourselves, as well as those we have with others. Mindfulness of emotions requires that we tend to whatever is moving through us with non-judgment, compassion, and curiosity.
When emotions are present in mind, see if you can notice where there is also tension in the body. Could the two be related? As you witness emotions moving through you, compassionately note them as energy currents of their own accord. Try not to become heavily attached to their presence. For example, you might notice the presence of anger as opposed to fixating on, ‘I am angry.’
5. Mindful eating
In our busy world, we tend to pay little attention to the food we put into our body. Therefore, mindful eating can help to improve our relationship to food. Noticing our experience with eating can enhance our entire well-being.
When you are eating your next meal, pay closer attention to all five senses. Chew slowly and mindfully, noticing textures, tastes, and sensations with greater curiosity. Invite gratitude into this practice, noting the blessings that are present on your plate and in your belly.
These 5 mindfulness exercises for beginners are simple practices that are frequently practiced by advanced practitioners as well. However, it is their simplicity that makes them excellent launching points for those just stepping into what it means to live more mindfully. Wherever you are in your mindfulness journey, let these practices serve as a sweet reminder that each breath, each bite, each sensation, and each thought is a doorway into a more mindful state of being.