Blog · Mindfulness Exercises
1,268 articles on daily practice, teaching mindfulness, meditation scripts, worksheets, and the research behind them.
Showing results
100 visible from 100 loaded, 1,268 total.
Though its roots are ancient, mindfulness practices are growing in popularity throughout our modern world. More and more people are starting to realize that in order to heal and to grow, one must start to look within. This growing interest in mindfulness, along with the science to back its efficacy, is why many therapists are […]
Read article
Coaching and mindfulness are two distinct things. The first is a process that supports an individual to reach their full potential whereas the latter is an invitation to open to ‘what is’. Despite this difference, coaching and mindfulness can go hand in hand, which is why many health and wellness coaches are exploring ways of incorporating […]
Read article
The world is changing quickly, and as it does, so do the ways that we live, work, connect, and teach. From global pandemic restrictions to the ease of reaching a wider audience, there are a variety of reasons that many mindfulness teachers are choosing to teach mindfulness online. But are online mindfulness classes the same […]
Read article
Our world is in need of a wave of loving kindness. As tension increases across the globe (due to everything from pandemic stress to geopolitical strife and in-between), we can serve our collective wellbeing by coming back to the heart. Loving kindness meditation is one way of cultivating the compassion that we need. It is […]
Read article
Each one of us carries personal bias to some degree. It is a natural cognitive process, but what we do with it matters. When biases are left unchecked, they can lead to discrimination, poor decision making, and unrealistic or negative perceptions, among other things. But what is personal bias exactly? Why do we have it […]
Read article
Our children become adults faster than we imagine they will when they are young. Yet while the transition might seem swift to us, many teenagers struggle as they learn to navigate what this evolution means for them. In today’s modern world, with infinite possibilities and rapidly evolving societies, it is becoming increasingly difficult for our […]
Read articleKeep going
The road to connection, understanding, and healing is not always easy. In fact, it is often quite challenging and frequently involves difficult conversations. We cannot escape life without having to navigate challenging interactions, so the question then surrounds how to approach difficult conversations. How can we more mindfully and effectively navigate tricky subjects and situations […]
Read article
Wise, intentional leadership is needed now more than ever. As our world becomes increasingly complex and challenging, we need to be thoughtful in the way that we lead, work, and organize ourselves. Mindful leadership is one way of working towards this, but what is a mindful leader and how can we become one? In this […]
Read article
The perceptions we have of ourselves, our lives, and events that occur around us are subjective. On a rainy day, for instance, we might focus our attention on the picnic that had to be cancelled or on the soil that is now receiving nourishment. Where we place our focus will shift the way we experience […]
Read article
Today’s students are growing up in a world that is spinning (metaphorically) faster and faster. While modern advances have made life easier for students in some regards, changes of the 21st century are also increasing stress, uncertainty, and anxiety for many youth. For instance, 61% of college students in 2016 reported to have sought counseling […]
Read article
Many therapists are now weaving mindfulness into the work they do with clients. Since mindfulness is simply the practice of paying non-judgmental attention to the present moment, it goes hand-in-hand with therapy. This type of practice can improve and nourish the relationship one has to whatever they are experiencing. Yet while many therapists are interested […]
Read article
If you are a therapist looking to incorporate mindfulness into your practice, you might have some questions about how to do so. Even if you practice mindfulness yourself, it can be unclear as to how you might share this practice with your clients or patients. Fortunately, there are many ways to explore this. Therapists of […]
Read article
Therapy comes in many shapes and forms. Put simply, therapy can be understood as a treatment that helps someone to feel better, to grow stronger, or to heal. Therapists use a range of tools and techniques to support those they work with. Regardless of what type of therapy one uses, mindfulness can be interwoven into […]
Read article
The workplace is not a place that most people associate with mindfulness. Our work environments are frequently stressful, fast-paced, and in opposition to our need for rest, presence, and ease. However, as mindfulness teachers, we are likely aware that it does not need to be this way. By introducing mindfulness to the workplace, we can […]
Read article
Sitting down to meditate can feel daunting, even for seasoned practitioners. Here is how to use journaling alongside meditation, with eight prompts and a morning pages practice.
Read article
Children naturally move through the world with high degrees of curiosity and openness, two fundamental principles of mindfulness. As mindfulness teachers working with children, our role is to enhance this natural presence while also helping children to navigate any challenges they encounter as they grow older We can teach mindfulness to children in a variety […]
Read article
If mindfulness has changed your life, it is natural to want to share it with others. Some people will share mindfulness informally with their loved ones, such as through the way they communicate. Others, however, will feel a deeper call to share mindfulness in a more traditional way: by becoming a mindfulness meditation teacher. Yet […]
Read article
A worksheet for mindfulness teachers on the three-step Story, Teach, Tool model for structuring a session: open with a story, draw out the teaching, then offer a practical tool.
Read article
When we first become a mindfulness meditation teacher, it can be difficult to speak from our own true voice. We might not know what our unique voice as a teacher sounds like or we might be caught up in trying to emulate other teachers. These are not signs that we do not have a unique […]
Read article
We often hear about the life-enhancing benefits of mindfulness meditation practice. As teachers, we have likely experienced these benefits ourselves and have therefore become inspired to share the practice with others. But is mindfulness always healing? Or, is there a potential for mindfulness and meditation to cause harm to those we share it with? As […]
Read article
A mindfulness worksheet on easing the complexity the mind adds to daily life, with simple ways to return to the present moment and reflection questions on where to simplify.
Read article
A worksheet for mindfulness teachers with a short self-guided practice and reflection questions for finding your own voice and sharing meditation more authentically.
Read article
Mindful reflection is a skill that requires presence, patience, non-judgment, curiosity, and compassion. It is a skill that, when fully embodied, has a range of benefits, from broadening our thinking to improving our relationships. Yet reflecting mindfully is not as easy as it might seem. How do we reflect on ourselves and our experience while […]
Read article
A mindfulness worksheet with a ten-minute noting practice and reflection questions for observing your state of mind as an outside observer would.
Read article
A worksheet for mindfulness teachers with a short practice and reflection questions for clarifying your heartfelt intention for sharing meditation.
Read article
We have all had moments of being physically present in a room while a conversation is taking place and yet mentally being elsewhere. Likewise, most of us have had the experience of reading a page in a book before realizing we could not recall what we’d just read. Despite being physically present for something, we […]
Read article
A mindfulness worksheet for checking in with your overall way of being, noticing how it affects your wellbeing and relationships, and considering practices that help.
Read article
A printable worksheet for mindfulness teachers to write an intention statement before leading a meditation class, workshop, or retreat session.
Read article
When we think about mindfulness, we often think about quiet, formal practice. This is because we tend to associate mindfulness with being an inward practice – and in one way, it is. However, mindfulness is not just about us as individuals. Mindfulness, when deeply embodied, enhances both inward and outward awareness, impacting not just ourselves […]
Read article
A printable mindfulness worksheet for working through a decision. It includes a short meditation for noticing how two different choices feel, followed by reflection questions.
Read article
A printable worksheet for mindfulness teachers to reflect on their strengths and the areas where they have room to learn, with curiosity and compassion.
Read article
A printable mindfulness worksheet with suggestions for making space for quiet time during the workday, even if it starts with a single breath.
Read article
A printable worksheet for mindfulness teachers to reflect on why they want to teach and who they feel most called to support.
Read article
A printable worksheet for reflecting on another person's worries and how you can support them mindfully and compassionately.
Read article
A printable worksheet for new and aspiring mindfulness teachers to meet fear, doubt, and uncertainty with compassion, curiosity, and patience.
Read article
Awareness of our mortality is not something we commonly contemplate in today’s modern society. We tend to steer clear of this difficult yet important topic for reasons that are understandable. Contemplating death can spark feelings of fear or anxiety, which can be quite uncomfortable. However, mindfulness of death is a practice that, when explored […]
Read article
In his 2012 book, Awakening Joy, James Baraz reminds us that it is possible to cultivate joy in everyday life. Our lives may cycle through triumphs and hardships, but there’s no reason to operate from a place of perpetual suffering, punctuated by moments of joy. Instead, it’s possible for joy to be our default mode, […]
Read article
A worksheet for mindfulness teachers on the difference between fixing and serving, and why approaching students as an act of service may make us more effective teachers.
Read article
Sleeping well is one of the most important things we can do for our health. Sleep meditation can help you fall asleep sooner and improve the quality of your sleep. Sleep is required for our health and well being. If we’re not getting enough sleep, neither the healthiest diet, the best exercise routine, nor one […]
Read article
A worksheet for listing how you spend your time and energy in a typical week, at work and outside of work, and circling the activities that make a positive difference.
Read article
A worksheet glossary of mindfulness concepts often discussed by leading teachers and researchers, from acceptance and anchor to beginner's mind and the default mode network.
Read article
A worksheet for meditating on gratitude, with a drawing and writing activity for illustrating what you feel grateful for as a daily reminder.
Read article
A worksheet that defines common meditation practices, including guided and self-guided meditation, focused attention, open monitoring and noting.
Read article
A worksheet for listing what you care most about at work and outside of work as a word cloud, with the most cared-about items written largest.
Read article
A four-page worksheet tracing how mindfulness entered US science and medicine, from William James in 1890 and Donald Hebb in 1949 to Jon Kabat-Zinn's MBSR in 1979 and today's brain research.
Read article
In Buddhist teaching, our suffering in uncertain times arises from the mistaken presumption that things are permanent when they are not. Mindfulness practice familiarizes us with impermanence for greater stability and ease through inevitable times of change. “Impermanence and selflessness are not negative aspects of life, but the very foundation on which life is built. Impermanence is the […]
Read article
Power of Acceptance. Over time, we practice extending acceptance to circumstances that are uncomfortable, and even downright heartbreaking.
Read article
Cultivating Mindfulness of Speech. Mindfulness of speech helps us become aware of when we are being truthful, and when we are not.
Read article
Five Hindrances. Each hindrance has both a negative and a positive aspect. Finding the balance between the two, we find balance in our minds.
Read article
Joyful Effort. If meditation didn’t lead to joy, and if joy was unavailable along the path, why would we ever meditate?
Read article
Everything arises, lasts for a while, and passes. This worksheet pairs that reminder with a brief classic Buddhist meditation on death and reflection questions.
Read article
Four Stages of Meditation. Understanding the classic four stages of meditation can be an inspiration for your practice.
Read article
Cultivating Joy. When we’re joyful, we lose awareness of self and become fully connected to the present moment.
Read article
Noticing your Helpers. The following meditation and mindfulness exercises can help us notice our helpers. We have never been alone, even now.
Read article
Cultivating Equanimity. When we’re in a state of equanimity, our feet are firmly planted on the ground, and we are stable.
Read article
Working with Boredom. Why do our moments of peace, in which there’s seemingly nothing to do, translate to boredom rather than joy?
Read article
Being Still. When we’re present, quiet, and still, we open ourselves to the possibility of recognizing that where we are is pretty good.
Read article
One Thing at a Time. The practice is the same: gently come back to your focus and start again. Doing one thing at a time.
Read article
Be Your Own Best Buddy (Kids). This practice will help kids to build on the attention and love you give them.
Read article
When You Just Can’t Meditate. A worksheet for the days meditation feels out of reach: name what is getting in the way without judgment, and notice how it feels in your body.
Read article
Walking Meditation. Sometimes, it can feel impossible to sit still, let alone to sit still and “do nothing”. Not moving can feel daunting.
Read article
Self-Kindness Part II. This can be done immediately following Part I of the Self-Kindness meditation, or on its own.
Read article
Self-Kindness Part 1. A meditation worksheet that starts from the breath and invites you to call to mind a loving presence and imagine receiving its kindness.
Read article
Right Speech. When we are silent, we’re able to tune in more easily to the harshest conversations – the ones we have with ourselves.
Read article
Puppies Meditation. A short meditation worksheet for meeting your own difficult feelings the way you would meet a small child, puppy or kitten in distress: with a soothing presence.
Read article
The world isn’t all love and light, all the time. Our mindfulness practice is of no benefit to us or others if it keeps us in a fantasy realm of toxic positivity, where hardships are denied or ignored. Learn more about spiritual bypassing, and how to know when you’re guilty. “You’re never in the wrong […]
Read article
Mindfulness is the art of paying open, non-judgmental attention from moment to moment. Since it is a practice of presence, what does it have to do with setting new year’s intentions or resolutions? Though mindfulness is indeed rooted in the present moment, what we discover through mindfulness practice can help us step into the future […]
Read article
Outdoor Meditation. A three-page worksheet for resting against a tree, feeling the support of the ground, and listening to the life and sounds around you.
Read article
One Breath at a Time. A mindfulness worksheet on using the breath, like the recovery saying "one day at a time", to come back to the present moment instead of dreading what has not happened yet.
Read article
Naming the Feelings Meditation. A meditation worksheet that pictures each thought as the tip of an iceberg and invites you to name the emotion beneath it.
Read article
Mindful Body Acceptance. A meditation worksheet for noticing how you speak to yourself about your body, and for resting in a kinder relationship with it.
Read article
A slow movement practice done lying down, with eight gentle exercises for staying present with difficult emotions in the body, including when sitting still feels like too much.
Read article
Meditation with a Pet. This isn’t a formal meditation, but more of an experience that can be done in the company of a pet.
Read article
A loving-kindness practice that moves through the body part by part with well-wishing phrases, then widens the circle of kindness outward to all beings.
Read article
Three visualizations for meeting a hard moment with kindness by imagining your younger self, as a child and as an infant, beside you.
Read article
A short script for parents to read with a child, using weather as a way to name and talk about feelings.
Read article
A listening game for children: ring a bell or chime, listen until the sound fades into silence, then notice the quiet.
Read article
A meditation for when gratitude feels out of reach: notice difficult emotions in the body first, then see whether any gratitude arises.
Read article
Chocolate Meditation. Food is such an interesting part of our consciousness. We need food… and we can also “use” food.
Read article
A practice for noticing where a difficult emotion lives in the body and staying with the physical sensations rather than the labels and stories.
Read article
For Chaotic Times. This worksheet offers a practice you can use when there is something unpleasant happening that you can’t control.
Read article
A contemplative practice on impermanence, with quotations from the Dalai Lama, the Buddha and Pema Chödrön, followed by a meditation on the fact that our lives, and the lives of those we love, end.
Read article
Loving Kindness Visualization – The Spheres. As you’ll see, this is a visualization that uses sports-related imagery!
Read article
Mindful Rituals for Romantic Connection. Intended to help those in relationship create moments of shared meaning which bring them closer.
Read article
Mindfulness Builds Resilience. Mindfulness helps us build the qualities that lead to greater resilience and stronger resistance to stress.
Read article
Mindfulness during the winter season is fundamentally no different than mindfulness during any other season. Each season is unique, however.
Read article
As the holidays approach and the temperature begins to drop in the Northern Hemisphere, many of us find ourselves reaching for sweets, treats, and comfort foods. The end of the calendar year certainly puts to the test any healthy habits we have cultivated during the year. If we are open to embracing this as an […]
Read article
There is much to be mindful of this holiday season. New ways of gathering with our loved ones, small business closures, and increased stress are just a few of the things that might be different for us this year. When it comes to holiday gift giving, we might feel a bit overwhelmed. How should we […]
Read article
What it means to protect the mind from the junk food of constant negativity, violence, and media, and practical ways to do it: meditation, rest, time in nature, decluttering, offline connection, and mantra.
Read article
Most of us want to be happy, and yet many of us quietly wonder whether we deserve it. Why wanting happiness is not selfish, how self-focus and guilt get in the way, and six practices that tend to go with a happier life.
Read article
Many of us cringe when told we need to accept things as they are. But the practice of radical acceptance may not be what you think it is. To understand what acceptance is, it’s sometimes easier to learn what it’s not. Acceptance is not agreeing, forgetting, or forgiving. It’s a practice that can change […]
Read article
As the holidays approach, many of us bring months of stress into our relationships and family gatherings. Mindfulness may help relationships through stressful times by keeping us aware, easing our reactivity to emotions, and supporting empathy.
Read article
If election season has you feeling stressed, you’re not alone. Mindfulness and meditation can help you notice that stress, steady yourself, and decide what to do next, whatever your politics.
Read article
Are November, December and January’s holidays the most wonderful time of the year? It depends on who you ask. For some, the holidays can trigger or exacerbate pre-existing stress. If party invites, family time and the abundance of high sugar foods is making you anxious, mindfulness can help. Common Sources of Holiday Stress Common sources […]
Read article
Throughout much of our lives, we live in a state of striving. We might be striving to get a new job or house, striving to escape the incessant stream of our thoughts, or striving to be different than who we are. Non-striving in mindfulness invites us into something completely different – it invites us into […]
Read article
What the research says about whether mindfulness activities work, how they might work, and five simple practices to try: mindful breathing, a body scan, loving-kindness, a nature walk, and Just Like Me.
Read article
Classic Five Hindrances. In Buddhism, the five hindrances are mental factors that hinder progress in meditation and in our daily lives.
Read article
Working with Boredom. A guided meditation script for meeting impatience, boredom, and restlessness with curiosity, using the breath as an anchor.
Read article
Soothing Anxiety with Awareness. We’re not always aware of our own anxiety. The first step in feeling better is to notice what we’re feeling.
Read article
Easing Anxiety by Remembering Impermanence. All things change, including anxiety. A short guided reflection on how much has already changed in your life.
Read article