Many of us know the definition of mindfulness but feel it’s more about meditation or yoga. But, in reality, mindfulness can be practiced in every aspect of our lives so we can enjoy the moment more. By definition, it means maintaining awareness in every moment of your feelings, body sensations, environment, and thoughts through a soft lens.
To help our followers nail the art of mindfulness, we have created this article through the lens of fitness enthusiasts. You can find the following in this writeup:
-Seven pillars of mindfulness
-Body balance meditation
-Mindfulness at workout
-Examples of mindful workouts
It’s not easy in the beginning, but as you incorporate these in each and every moment, you will be able to be mindful even during your workouts.
Non-Judging: Remember that we are constantly judging ourselves and others. You need to begin to observe everything without putting a label on things, people, feelings and attitudes.
Patience: Understand and accept that things will happen when the time is right. Forcing an outcome is not going to help. Just believe in the process and be patient towards yourself, your body as well as your mind.
Beginner’s mind: Train your mind to see things as if you are seeing them for the first time. More often than not, we are merely observing the reflection of our opinions instead of seeing things as they are. Having a beginner’s mind helps you be more open.
Trust: You need to trust your own intuition and feelings. Try to be a better version of yourself rather than comparing yourself to others.
Non-striving: When you want results, don’t look for results. In other words, karm karo fal ki chinta mat karo (this line is from Bhagwad Geeta which means just put in effort without worrying about the results.
Acceptance: The love and acceptance you have towards yourselves should not depend on the results.
Let go: Get rid of everything that chains you down – be it thoughts, grudges, resentments or memories.
This kind of meditation helps you enhance the coordination between your mind and body. You can focus your attention on the right side and then the left side of the body gradually moving from feet to head. Just be mindful if you can sense both sides with equal clarity.
In the beginning, you will find it difficult to experience both sides equally. So, focus but let it happen easily, don’t put too much attention to it. Your effort should feel effortless and with time, you will be able to sense both sides equally.
Mindfulness at Workout
Mindfulness brings in increased focus, reduced stress and a stronger mind that doesn’t get distracted easily. Some fitness experts say that you can incorporate mindfulness into your exercise routine and enrich your workout. It also helps you feel light and clear headed later on.
Begin with breathing deeply that engages the diaphragm. This brings in a renewed sense of calm and relaxation and shushes stress. Remember to have lung-filing breaths instead of shallow breaths during exercise.
Focus on the muscle group that is engaged and the sensations your body is feeling. This helps you focus on the movement rather than stress about the outcome.
Set an intention for your workout and say it aloud to yourself. For example, “I will work out for 6 days this week.” Or it could be something like, “I will complete two full laps of swimming without a single break.”
The goal must be to find the flow. Instead of trying to make things work, you will allow them to happen. It needs to be a mental shift. You will have inner clarity, intense focus and a sense of serenity.
Explore top Yoga Studios near you! to practice Mindfulness.
Mindful Workout Examples
It’s good practice to keep your smartwatches away, take a deep breath and get completely soaked into a mindful workout.
With Low-intensity interval training (LIIT) you can build strength and endurance. It includes a batch of slow yet precise movements, increasing the time your muscles spend under tension. Move slowly, inhale, and exhale to stay mindful as you perform each set. Each move is done more effectively. The best part is that since you are aware, you will know the weight doesn’t feel right for you and you prevent any injury that could have been caused.
Be mindful when you are lifting weights. Imagine how each exercise should look from different angles and check your form while exercising and focusing on your muscles. Remember to focus on breathing. Observe how you feel after the workout in terms of energy, fatigue, mental health, wellness etc. Be kind to yourself, if you are not feeling up to it, take a day off.
Practice mindfulness when stretching. See how far your body can go instead of focusing on where you should be able to stretch. This will help you with posture, flexibility and staying healthy and mobile.
Arboreal locomotion is another trending exercise. Arboreal locomotion basically means the movement of animals who live on trees. But think of this as much more than just tree climbing. It is basically a mix of jumping or leaping, rock climbing, martial arts and a bit of forest bathing.
Forest bathing is an upcoming practice inspired by the Japanese wherein you spend time in the forest in order to improve your mental health and well-being. For arboreal locomotion, you need a mix of mindfulness, cardio and strength training. You automatically have increased focus when you’re a few feet above the ground.
Many gyms these days are offering recovery classes. These are designed to support workouts with mindful, low impact and nurturing actions. Some incorporate massage, stretch and breathing exercises while some guide with a foam roller and some believe in a meditative class helping you read a semi-sleep state. The aim of these recovery classes is to help you reconnect with how your body feels, identify issues and restore your body to its optimum condition.