Mindfulness for beginners

Our minds need nutrition just like our bodies. And mindfulness is a wonderful way to give it the nutrients it needs to perform at its best. The amazing thing about some mindfulness techniques is that they don’t take a huge amount of time and can easily be worked into even the busiest lives. 

We’re going to take you through some mindfulness practices that you could try to incorporate into your daily life. Don’t worry if you don’t practice them every day, you’ll still see and feel the benefits when you do.   

What is mindfulness?

At its core, mindfulness is just about being in the moment, being present and recognising what you’re thinking, feeling and experiencing. A bit of mindfulness can help us to enjoy life more and to understand ourselves and our place in the world a bit better. Even though mindfulness can result in stress relief and feeling calm, the true benefit is to energise your mind, emotions, body and soul so you can be the best version of yourself. 

Simple mindfulness exercises?

You can start doing some simple mindfulness exercises right here and now. Start by focussing on your breathing. Take notice of what you’re thinking, watch each thought without judgement. Now pay attention to what your body is feeling. What does your phone or keyboard feel like in your hands? Name the sensations in your mind and take note of them. What do you smell? What sounds are around you? Focus your attention on each sense, one at a time. 

This is just a super simple way to get started that takes no more than a few moments. 

Mindfulness meditation 

If you find that you have a bit more time you can try out some mindfulness meditation. Just like the mindfulness exercise you mentioned above, it doesn’t need to take a long time. You can start with just five minutes and work your way up from there. 

Find yourself a comfortable place and position to sit in. Start by focussing on your breathing for a few moments, then turn your attention inwards to your thoughts and feelings. Then move onto what each part of your physical body is feeling, then the sounds you hear and any scents you can smell. It’s normal for your mind to start wandering at times. Just bring it back to your current state. With practice and time, it’ll get easier to do this and enjoy the benefits.   

Mindful eating  

We believe that nutritious food and eating are some of life’s greatest joys. They have the power to satisfy, nourish, bring joy and even connect people. And they’re also the perfect way to practice mindfulness, whether you’re cooking or eating. 

The aim of mindful eating is not to tell you what you should experience, it’s about being aware of what your experience is, without expectation. You can start the practice of mindful eating by focussing on your food and asking yourself these questions:

• What do the colours looks like? 
• If you’re cooking, what is the feeling of the ingredients in your hand? 
• What does your food smell like? 
• If you’re cooking, what sound can you hear the food make when cutting or cooking? 
• What does your food taste like? 
• What does it feel like in your mouth?
• How does the texture change as you chew?
• What does it feel like when you swallow? 

By focussing on each aspect of the food you’re enjoying, you’ll start or continue to create an amazing relationship with what you’re nourishing your body with. 

Here at Maiana, we have some wonderful organic, bursting-with-flavour ingredients that you can use to get your started on your journey of mindful eating. Bon appétit!