The Beginners Guide to Mindfulness Movement

Let’s be intentional with movement.

We all experience stress in our lives and sometimes that stress can show up as pain points within our bodies. One way I tackle the stress that shows up in my body is through practicing mindfulness movement. This is a practice of focusing attention on your body as you engage in active movement. Mindfulness movement practice can also include grounding techniques which help to calm your overall body. 

Let’s walk through ways to move your body with intention and focus on decreasing stress.

Grounding movements: Focus on your senses while sitting or standing. What are you touching? What are you seeing? What are you hearing? What are you smelling? What are you tasting? By asking yourself these questions, you can refocus on the present moment and disconnect from feelings of stress or anxiety.  

Couples’ movements: Invite your partner to embrace you as you both sway back and forth, focusing on how your body feels from head to toe. This can transition into more formal dances or a simple two step style dance. The intention is to feel the connectedness of your partner and how it feels in your body.

Breathing movements: You will move between long, full body breaths and short, reviving breaths. Start by purposely extending your breath, focusing on the expansion of your rib cage before exhaling. Transition into shorter breaths to help refresh and refocus your body. This exercise can be repeated until you feel less stress and a sense of calmness throughout the body.

Walking movements: In order to make this mindful walking, you must walk without the intention of reaching a destination. This mediative walking requires focus on your surroundings, breathing, and your thoughts about how your body feels as you walk.

Yoga and Exercise movements: While we typically look at yoga and exercise as a strategy for improving our physical health, these practices also have significant impacts on our emotional health. By focusing your exercise routine on your body, you can intentionally seek to find energy and peace.

I’ve now highlighted a few of the various ways you can practice mindfulness movement.

Try each of these and do additional research to find the strategy that works best for your needs.