Category: Mindful Monday

Do you ever feel disconnected from your body, perhaps only noticing it when it signals pain or discomfort? In our busy lives, it’s common to live primarily in our heads, rushing from one task to the next. A Mindful Body Scan is a gentle yet profound practice that invites you to systematically bring awareness to different parts of your body, fostering a deeper connection, releasing tension, and promoting profound relaxation.

This exercise is a wonderful way to check in with yourself, calm your nervous system, and cultivate a sense of inner peace. At Enlightened, we often recommend practices like the body scan to our clients in the Warren/Youngstown area as a tool for stress reduction and enhanced self-awareness, key components of holistic well-being. This exercise will take about 10 minutes.

Preparing for Your Mindful Body Scan:

1. Find a Comfortable Position: Lie down on your back if possible, perhaps on a yoga mat, your bed, or a comfortable floor. If lying down isn’t feasible, you can also do this exercise sitting comfortably in a chair with your back supported and feet flat on the floor.
2. Gentle Stillness: Allow your arms to rest by your sides, palms facing up or down, whatever feels natural. Let your legs be uncrossed. If you’re sitting, rest your hands gently in your lap.
3. Close Your Eyes (Optional): You may find it easier to focus inward with your eyes closed. If you prefer, you can keep a soft, unfocused gaze.
4. Intention of Kindness: Approach this practice with an attitude of gentle curiosity and kindness towards yourself and whatever sensations you notice. There’s no need to change anything, simply observe.

The 10-Minute Mindful Body Scan Exercise:

(Beginning: Settling In – Approx. 1 minute)

• Take a few moments to settle into your position. Notice the points of contact between your body and the surface beneath you.
• Bring your awareness to your breath. Take 2-3 slightly deeper breaths, inhaling calm and exhaling any immediate tension. Then, allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm.

(Part 1: Feet and Legs – Approx. 3 minutes)

• Gently bring your attention to your feet. Notice any sensations in your toes, the soles of your feet, your heels, your ankles. Are they warm, cool, tingly, heavy, light? Simply observe without judgment.
• Allow your awareness to travel up into your lower legs – your shins and calves. Notice any sensations here. If you find tension, imagine your breath flowing into that area, and with the exhale, invite it to soften.
• Continue moving your awareness up to your knees, and then to your thighs – the front, back, and sides. Spend a moment with any sensations you find, breathing into them.

(Part 2: Pelvis, Abdomen, and Back – Approx. 3 minutes)

• Now, shift your focus to your pelvic area, your hips, and your buttocks. Notice the contact with the surface beneath you.
• Gently bring your awareness to your abdomen. Notice the natural rise and fall with your breath. Are there any sensations of tightness or ease here?
• Allow your attention to move to your lower back. This is an area where many people hold tension. Breathe into any sensations you find, inviting softness.
• Slowly scan your awareness up your spine, through your mid-back, and into your upper back and shoulder blades. Notice any sensations of holding or release.

(Part 3: Chest, Arms, and Hands – Approx. 2 minutes)

• Bring your awareness to your chest. Notice the gentle movement with your breath.
• Let your attention flow down your arms, through your elbows, forearms, wrists, and into your hands and each finger. Notice any sensations – warmth, coolness, tingling. Allow your hands and arms to feel heavy and relaxed.

(Part 4: Neck, Head, and Face – Approx. 1 minute)

• Gently bring your awareness to your neck and throat. Invite any tension here to soften.
• Move your focus to your scalp, your forehead (letting it be smooth), your eyes (allowing them to rest softly in their sockets), your jaw (letting it be unclenched), your tongue, and your mouth.
• Take a moment to be aware of your entire head, feeling any sensations present.

(Conclusion: Whole Body Awareness & Return – Approx. 1 minute)

• Now, expand your awareness to encompass your entire body as a whole, from the tips of your toes to the crown of your head. Feel your whole body breathing, resting.
• Rest in this awareness for a few moments, appreciating this time you’ve given yourself.
• When you’re ready, begin to gently deepen your breath. Wiggle your fingers and toes. Slowly bring some movement back into your body.
• If your eyes were closed, allow them to open gently. Take a moment before moving, noticing how you feel.

Bringing the Body Scan into Your Life:

The Mindful Body Scan is a versatile practice:

• It can be a wonderful way to unwind before sleep.
• It can help you release tension during a stressful day.
• Regular practice can increase your overall body awareness, helping you notice and address discomfort earlier.
• It deepens the mind-body connection, a cornerstone of the holistic wellness we foster at Enlightened.

This practice of kind attention to your physical self is a gift you can offer yourself anytime. It’s a way to come home to your body, to listen to its wisdom, and to cultivate a sense of peace from within.

Interested in exploring deeper relaxation and mind-body connection?

Enlightened offers Therapeutic Massage, Spiritual Wellness practices, and Holistic Wellness Coaching that can help you cultivate profound relaxation and self-awareness.

In our visually-driven and often mentally cluttered world, it’s easy to go through the motions without truly experiencing the richness of our surroundings. We see, but do we observe? We hear, but do we listen? A simple yet profound way to anchor ourselves in the present moment and cultivate mindfulness is by intentionally engaging all our senses.

This practice can transform an ordinary moment into an extraordinary one, helping to reduce stress, enhance focus, and deepen your connection to the world around you. At Enlightened, we encourage our clients in the Warren/Youngstown area to explore such sensory awareness as a pathway to inner peace and holistic well-being.

Let’s embark on a 5-minute mindful sensory journey. You can do this wherever you are – sitting at your desk, in your garden, or even while walking.

Preparing for Your Sensory Exploration:

1. Choose Your Focus Area: Decide if you’ll focus on your immediate surroundings from a seated position or if you’ll take a very short, slow, mindful walk (even just a few steps).
2. Minimize Distractions (If Possible): For these five minutes, try to reduce external interruptions.
3. Gentle Intention: Set an intention to simply notice, without judgment or the need to analyze. The goal is to experience, not to think about experiencing.

The 5-Minute Mindful Sensory Journey:

(Minute 1: The Gift of Sight)

• Begin by letting your gaze soften. Allow your eyes to wander around your chosen space or path.
• Instead of just labeling objects (“chair,” “tree,” “cup”), try to notice details you might usually overlook.
• Observe colors – the different shades, how light plays on surfaces. Notice textures – rough, smooth, shiny, matte. See patterns, shapes, and the spaces between things.
• Look with fresh eyes, as if seeing your surroundings for the very first time.

(Minute 2: The World of Sound)

• Now, gently shift your awareness to the sounds around you. You can close your eyes if it helps you focus.
• Listen to the most obvious sounds first. Then, try to tune into the more subtle sounds – the hum of an appliance, distant traffic, the rustle of leaves, your own breath.
• Notice the quality of the sounds – are they sharp, soft, high-pitched, low-pitched, continuous, or intermittent?
• Allow the sounds to come and go without needing to identify or label them all. Just let your ears receive.

(Minute 3: The Sensation of Touch)

• Bring your attention to the sense of touch.
• Notice the feeling of your body making contact with the surface you’re on – the chair beneath you, the ground under your feet.
• Feel the air on your skin – is it cool, warm, still, or moving?
• If you’re holding something, notice its texture, temperature, and weight in your hands. If you’re walking, feel the sensation of your feet connecting with the ground with each step.
• You can even gently touch a nearby object (a leaf, a fabric, your own hand) and explore its texture.

(Minute 4: The Aromas Around You)

• Now, engage your sense of smell. Take a few gentle breaths in through your nose.
• What scents can you detect in the air? They might be obvious (coffee brewing, cut grass) or very subtle.
• Is the air fresh, damp, floral, earthy? Don’t strain; just notice what aromas naturally present themselves.
• This sense is strongly linked to memory and emotion, so just observe any feelings that arise without getting carried away by them.

(Minute 5: Integrating and Appreciating)

• For the final minute, try to hold a gentle awareness of all your senses simultaneously, or simply return to a soft awareness of your breath.
• Notice how engaging your senses has brought you into this present moment.
• Take a moment to appreciate the richness and complexity that your senses bring to your experience of life.
• As you prepare to end the exercise, offer a silent thank you to your senses for the information and connection they provide. Gently bring your awareness back to your full surroundings.

Bringing Sensory Awareness into Your Day:

This 5-minute journey is just a starting point. You can practice mindful sensory awareness in many everyday situations:

• Mindful Eating: Pay attention to the colors, smells, textures, and tastes of your food.
• Walking: Notice the sights, sounds, and smells of your environment.
• Listening to Music: Give your full attention to the different instruments, melodies, and rhythms.
• Household Chores: Feel the warmth of the water as you wash dishes, or the texture of fabric as you fold laundry.

By regularly engaging your senses with intention, you cultivate a deeper presence, reduce mental clutter, and often discover beauty and peace in unexpected places. This is a core aspect of the holistic approach we cherish at Enlightened, helping you connect more fully with yourself and the world.

Want to explore more ways to cultivate mindfulness and sensory awareness?

Enlightened offers personalized guidance through Holistic Wellness Coaching and Spiritual Wellness sessions to help you integrate these enriching practices into your life.

In the ebb and flow of daily life, amidst its challenges and demands, it’s easy for our focus to drift towards what’s lacking or what’s causing stress. Yet, within each day, there are countless moments, big and small, for which we can feel grateful. Cultivating gratitude is a powerful mindfulness practice that can shift your perspective, uplift your spirit, reduce stress, and anchor your heart in a sense of peace and abundance.

At Enlightened, we believe that gratitude is a key ingredient for holistic well-being, helping our clients in the Warren/Youngstown community find more joy and resilience. This simple 5-minute exercise invites you to consciously connect with the feeling of thankfulness.

Preparing for Your Gratitude Reflection:

1. Find a Quiet Moment: Choose a time and place where you can be relatively undisturbed for five minutes. This could be in the morning to set a positive tone, or in the evening to reflect on your day.
2. Comfortable Posture: Sit or lie down comfortably. Allow your body to relax.
3. Open Heart, Open Mind: Set an intention to approach this practice with openness and sincerity, allowing feelings of gratitude to arise naturally.

The 5-Minute Mindful Gratitude Exercise:

(Minute 1: Settling and Centering)

• Gently close your eyes, or maintain a soft, unfocused gaze.
• Take three slow, deep breaths. With each inhale, imagine breathing in peace. With each exhale, imagine releasing any tension or preoccupation.
• Allow your body to settle and your mind to become a little quieter.

(Minute 2: Recalling Simple Joys)

• Bring to mind one very simple thing from your day or recent experience for which you feel a sense of gratitude.
• It doesn’t have to be monumental. Perhaps it was the warmth of the sun, a comfortable chair, a shared smile, the taste of your morning coffee, or a moment of quiet.
• Hold this simple thing in your awareness. Notice any feelings that arise as you appreciate it. Allow yourself to truly feel the thankfulness, however small.

(Minute 3: Appreciating People in Your Life)

• Now, gently shift your focus to a person in your life for whom you feel grateful.
• This could be a family member, a friend, a colleague, a kind stranger, or even a pet.
• Bring this person to mind. Think about a specific quality they possess, an act of kindness they showed, or simply their presence in your life.
• Silently offer your thanks to this person. Feel the warmth of that connection and appreciation in your heart.

(Minute 4: Gratitude for Yourself)

• Turn your gratitude inward, towards yourself. This can sometimes be challenging, so approach it with gentleness.
• Think of one quality you possess that you appreciate – perhaps your kindness, your resilience, your curiosity, your effort in trying your best.
• Or, consider something your body does for you every day without you even asking – your heart beating, your lungs breathing, your ability to see or hear.
• Offer yourself a moment of sincere appreciation for your own being, your strengths, and your efforts.

(Minute 5: Expanding Gratitude & Carrying it Forward)

• For this final minute, allow your sense of gratitude to expand. You might feel a general sense of thankfulness for life itself, for the opportunities you have, or for the simple fact of being alive in this moment.
• Let any feelings of warmth, peace, or contentment that have arisen to fill you.
• As the exercise comes to a close, take one more deep, appreciative breath.
• Form an intention to carry this sense of gratitude with you as you move into the rest of your day or evening. Notice how it might subtly shift your perspective.
• When you’re ready, gently open your eyes.

Making Gratitude a Daily Ritual:

Cultivating gratitude is an ongoing practice. You can integrate it into your life by:

• Starting a Gratitude Journal: Each day, write down 3-5 things you are thankful for.
• Expressing Thanks: Make it a point to verbally thank people who help or support you.
• Mindful Appreciation: Throughout your day, pause to notice and appreciate small, beautiful moments.
• “Thank You” Meditation: Spend a few minutes simply repeating “thank you” silently, allowing feelings of gratitude to arise for whatever comes to mind.

This practice of mindful gratitude doesn’t deny life’s difficulties, but it helps to balance our perspective, reminding us of the good that coexists with the challenges. It’s a simple yet profound way to nurture your spirit and enhance your overall well-being, a core tenet of the holistic support offered at Enlightened.

Interested in cultivating a deeper sense of gratitude and inner peace?

Larissa Giles at Enlightened can guide you through personalized mindfulness practices and holistic coaching to help you integrate these beneficial habits into your life.

Life moves fast. Responsibilities pile up, thoughts race, and before we know it, we can feel swept away by the current of our busy days. But what if you could create small pockets of peace, little anchors of calm, no matter where you are or what you’re doing? The “Mindful Moment of Pause” is a simple, adaptable practice designed to do just that.

It’s not about lengthy meditation sessions; it’s about learning to intentionally pause, check in with yourself, and reconnect with the present moment, even for just 60 seconds. At Enlightened, we encourage our clients in the Warren/Youngstown area to discover the power of these brief interludes to reduce stress, regain focus, and cultivate a sense of inner balance throughout their day.

Why Take a Mindful Moment of Pause?

These short pauses can:

• Interrupt Autopilot: Break the cycle of rushing and reacting.
• Reduce Stress Acutely: Offer an immediate way to calm your nervous system.
• Increase Self-Awareness: Help you notice your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations.
• Improve Focus: Allow you to reset your attention before moving to the next task.
• Cultivate Presence: Bring you back to the here and now, enhancing your experience of life.

How to Take a Mindful Moment of Pause (The S.T.O.P. Practice):

A helpful acronym for this practice is S.T.O.P. It guides you through four simple steps. You can do this with your eyes open or closed, standing, sitting, or even while waiting in line.

S – Stop (Approx. 10-15 seconds)

• Action: Whatever you are doing, just pause. Stop the activity, the movement, the internal chatter for a brief moment.
• Intention: Consciously decide to take this moment for yourself.

T – Take a Breath (Approx. 15-20 seconds)

• Action: Bring your awareness to your breath. Take one, two, or three conscious breaths.
• Intention: Notice the sensation of the air entering your body and leaving your body. You don’t need to change it; just observe it. Let your breath be an anchor to the present.

O – Observe (Approx. 15-20 seconds)

• Action: Briefly scan your internal landscape:

• Thoughts: What thoughts are present? Notice them without getting caught up in them, like clouds passing in the sky.
• Emotions: What feelings are you experiencing right now? Name them gently to yourself (e.g., “anxiety,” “calm,” “frustration”) without judgment.
• Body Sensations: What do you feel in your body? Notice any tension, tightness, ease, or neutrality. Scan from your feet to your head.
• Intention: The aim is simply to observe what is, with curiosity and acceptance, not to fix or change anything in this moment.

P – Proceed (Approx. 10-15 seconds)

• Action: Having checked in with yourself, consider what is most important or needed in the very next moment.
• Intention: Proceed with renewed awareness and intention. You might choose to continue what you were doing with a slightly different perspective, or you might decide to make a small adjustment based on what you observed.

That’s it! The entire S.T.O.P. practice can take as little as a minute, or you can extend the “Observe” phase if you have more time.

When to Use Your Mindful Moment of Pause:

The beauty of this practice is its versatility. Try it:

• When you feel stress levels rising.
• Before reacting to a challenging situation or email.
• When transitioning between tasks or meetings.
• When you notice your mind is racing or unfocused.
• During routine activities like waiting for the kettle to boil or at a red light (if not driving).
• Anytime you just need a brief reset.

Small Pauses, Big Impact:

Integrating these Mindful Moments of Pause throughout your day can have a significant cumulative effect on your well-being. They are like little sips of water for a thirsty mind, helping you stay hydrated with presence and calm. This practice is a testament to the Enlightened philosophy that profound shifts can come from simple, accessible tools that honor your mind-body-spirit connection.

Want to learn more about integrating simple, powerful mindfulness techniques into your busy life?

Enlightened offers personalized guidance through Holistic Wellness Coaching and Spiritual Wellness sessions to help you build your own toolkit for everyday peace and resilience.

Our emotional landscape is rich and varied, yet how often do we truly pause to acknowledge and understand what we’re feeling? In the rush of daily life, it’s common to suppress difficult emotions, get swept away by intense ones, or simply operate on autopilot without much emotional awareness. A Mindful Check-In with Your Emotions is a gentle practice that invites you to turn inward, observe your current emotional state with curiosity and kindness, and create a more compassionate relationship with your feelings.

This practice can help you build emotional intelligence, reduce reactivity, and gain valuable insights into your inner world. At Enlightened, we believe that acknowledging and understanding our emotions is a vital part of holistic well-being, supporting our clients in the Warren/Youngstown area as they navigate life’s complexities. Let’s explore a 5-minute mindful check-in.

Preparing for Your Emotional Check-In:

1. Find a Quiet Space: Choose a moment and place where you can be undisturbed for about five minutes.
2. Comfortable Posture: Sit comfortably, allowing your body to be relaxed yet alert. You can close your eyes or maintain a soft, unfocused gaze.
3. Intention of Non-Judgment: The aim is to observe your emotions without judging them as “good” or “bad,” “right” or “wrong.” All emotions are valid signals.

The 5-Minute Mindful Emotional Check-In:

(Minute 1: Settling and Arriving)

• Begin by bringing your attention to your breath. Take two or three slow, gentle breaths, allowing your body and mind to settle into the present moment.
• Notice the physical sensations of your body – the contact with your chair, the feeling of your feet on the floor.

(Minute 2: Gently Scanning for Emotions)

• Now, gently turn your attention inward and ask yourself: “What am I feeling right now?”
• There might be one dominant emotion, or perhaps a blend of feelings. Don’t search too hard or try to force an answer. Simply be open to whatever arises.
• If an emotion comes to mind (e.g., joy, sadness, anxiety, frustration, peace, boredom), try to name it silently to yourself. Just acknowledging it is a powerful step.
• If no specific emotion is obvious, that’s okay too. You might just notice a general sense of “okayness” or perhaps a subtle underlying mood.

(Minute 3: Exploring the Physical Sensation (If Applicable))

• If you’ve identified an emotion, see if you can notice where you feel it in your body.
• For example, does anxiety create a tightness in your chest or stomach? Does joy feel like an openness or lightness? Does sadness feel heavy?
• Gently bring your awareness to these physical sensations without trying to change them. Just observe them with curiosity, as if you were exploring a new landscape.
• Breathe into these areas, offering them a sense of gentle acceptance.

(Minute 4: Observing with Kindness and Acceptance)

• Whatever emotions or sensations are present, try to meet them with an attitude of kindness and acceptance.
• Remind yourself that it’s okay to feel whatever you’re feeling. Emotions are natural human experiences; they come and go.
• You are not your emotions; you are the awareness observing them. This can create a helpful sense of space.
• If difficult emotions are present, see if you can offer yourself a silent phrase of comfort, like “This is a moment of difficulty,” or “May I be kind to myself.”

(Minute 5: Broadening Awareness and Gentle Return)

• For the final minute, gently broaden your awareness from the specific emotion back to your whole body, then to your breath.
• Notice the feeling of your breath flowing in and out, a constant anchor.
• Acknowledge this brief time you’ve taken to check in with your emotional self.
• When you’re ready, slowly begin to bring your attention back to your surroundings. Wiggle your fingers and toes, and if your eyes were closed, allow them to open gently.

Integrating Emotional Check-Ins into Your Day:

This 5-minute practice can be adapted and used throughout your day:

• Morning Check-In: To understand your emotional starting point for the day.
• Mid-Day Pause: To see how you’re doing and if you need a reset.
• When Feeling Overwhelmed: To identify and acknowledge what’s happening internally.
• Before Important Interactions: To approach them with greater emotional awareness.

Regularly checking in with your emotions helps you to understand yourself better, manage stress more effectively, and respond to life with greater intention and compassion. It’s a cornerstone of the holistic self-awareness we encourage at Enlightened, helping you to navigate your inner world with grace.

Interested in developing greater emotional awareness and resilience?

Holistic Wellness Coaching at Enlightened, guided by Larissa, can provide you with tools and support to understand and navigate your emotional landscape with greater skill and self-compassion.

In our fast-paced lives, how often do we truly savor our food? More often than not, meals are rushed – eaten while standing, working, or scrolling through our phones. Mindful Eating is a practice that invites us to slow down and bring our full awareness to the experience of nourishing our bodies. It’s about engaging all our senses, appreciating the journey of food from its source to our plate, and listening to our body’s cues of hunger and fullness.

This simple yet profound practice can transform your relationship with food, enhance digestion, reduce stress around mealtimes, and cultivate a deeper sense of gratitude. At Enlightened, we believe that how you nourish yourself is a key component of holistic well-being, and mindful eating is a beautiful way to honor that connection, right here in the Warren/Youngstown community.

Let’s try a 5-minute mindful eating exercise with a single piece of food.

Preparing for Your Mindful Eating Moment:

1. Choose Your Food: Select a small piece of food. A raisin, a grape, a nut, a small cracker, or a segment of fruit works well.
2. Minimize Distractions: For these five minutes, put away your phone, turn off the TV, and find a quiet place where you can sit comfortably without interruption.
3. Gentle Intention: Approach this with curiosity and an open mind, ready to explore the simple act of eating with fresh awareness.

The 5-Minute Mindful Eating Exercise:

(Minute 1: Observing with Your Eyes and Touch)

• Sight: Hold the piece of food in your hand or on a plate. Take a moment to really see it. Notice its color(s), shape, texture, and any imperfections. Imagine you’ve never seen this type of food before. What details catch your eye?
• Touch: Now, pick up the food (if you haven’t already). Explore its texture with your fingers. Is it smooth, rough, soft, firm, sticky, dry? Notice its weight and temperature in your hand.

(Minute 2: Engaging Your Sense of Smell)

• Bring the food closer to your nose. Close your eyes if it helps you focus.
• Inhale deeply. What scents do you notice? Is the aroma sweet, earthy, fruity, nutty, subtle, or strong?
• Does the smell evoke any memories or feelings? Simply observe without judgment.

(Minute 3: The Anticipation and the First Bite)

• Slowly bring the food to your lips. Notice any sensations as it touches your lips or tongue.
• Take one small bite. Before you start chewing, just let the food rest in your mouth. What are the initial taste sensations? Is it sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami?
• Notice the texture against your tongue and teeth.

(Minute 4: Chewing Slowly and Savoring)

• Begin to chew very slowly, much slower than you normally would.
• Pay attention to the changing texture and the evolving flavors as you chew.
• Notice the act of chewing itself – the movement of your jaw, the work of your teeth.
• Try to resist the urge to swallow immediately. See if you can detect all the subtle nuances of taste.
• When you do swallow, follow the sensation of the food moving down your throat.

(Minute 5: Noticing the Aftertaste and Gratitude)

• After you’ve swallowed, pause for a moment. What tastes or sensations linger in your mouth?
• Bring your awareness to your body. How does your stomach feel? Do you notice any sense of satisfaction or nourishment from this small bite?
• Take a moment to reflect on the journey of this food – from the sun, soil, and water that helped it grow, to the people who may have harvested, transported, and prepared it.
• Offer a silent moment of gratitude for this nourishment and the experience of mindful eating.
• Gently bring your awareness back to your surroundings.

Bringing Mindful Eating into Your Daily Meals:

While you may not eat every meal with this level of intense focus, you can bring elements of mindful eating into your daily life:

• Start with One Mindful Bite: Begin each meal by savoring the first bite with full awareness.
• Put Down Your Utensils: Between bites, put your fork or spoon down to encourage slower eating.
• Minimize Distractions: Try to eat at least one meal a day without screens or other distractions.
• Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to your body’s signals of hunger before you eat and fullness as you eat.
• Express Gratitude: Take a moment before eating to appreciate your food.

Mindful eating is a practice that deepens your connection to your food, your body, and the present moment. It’s a simple yet powerful tool for enhancing your well-being, perfectly aligning with the holistic philosophy we cultivate at Enlightened.

Interested in exploring how mindfulness can transform other areas of your life?

Enlightened offers guidance through Holistic Wellness Coaching to help you develop mindful habits that support your overall health and peace of mind.

In the midst of a hectic day, when your thoughts are racing and stress feels like it’s tightening its grip, do you ever wish for a simple, immediate way to find a moment of peace? The good news is, you already possess one of the most powerful tools for instant calm: your breath.

Mindful breathing is a foundational practice that can anchor you in the present moment, quiet the mental noise, and soothe your nervous system. It doesn’t require any special equipment or a lot of time – just a few minutes and your willingness to be present. At Enlightened, we often guide our clients in the Warren/Youngstown community through simple practices like this to help them navigate daily pressures with greater ease.

Let’s embark on a 5-minute mindful breathing exercise together. Find a comfortable position, and let’s begin.

Preparing for Your Mindful Moment:

1. Find Your Space: Choose a place where you can sit or lie down comfortably without being disturbed for the next five minutes. This could be a chair at your desk, a quiet corner in your home, or even a parked car.
2. Settle In: If you’re sitting, try to keep your spine relatively straight but not rigid, with your feet flat on the floor. If you’re lying down, allow your body to be fully supported. You can close your eyes gently, or keep a soft, unfocused gaze downwards if that feels more comfortable.
3. Let Go of Expectations: There’s no “right” way to feel during this exercise. The goal isn’t to stop thinking, but simply to become aware of your breath and anchor your attention there.

The 5-Minute Mindful Breathing Exercise:

(Minute 1: Settling and Noticing)

• Bring your attention to the fact that you are breathing. Don’t try to change your breath in any way just yet. Simply notice it.
• Observe the natural rhythm of your breath – the gentle rise and fall of your chest or abdomen.
• Notice where you feel the sensation of breathing most vividly. Is it at the tip of your nose as the air enters and leaves? Is it the expansion of your chest? Or the gentle movement of your belly? Rest your attention there.

(Minute 2: Deepening Awareness)

• Now, begin to gently deepen your breath, if that feels comfortable. Take a slightly longer, fuller inhalation through your nose, feeling the air fill your lungs.
• Exhale slowly, perhaps through your mouth with a soft sigh, or gently through your nose. Imagine releasing any tension with each outward breath.
• Continue this pattern of slightly deeper, slower breaths. Feel the air moving in, and the air moving out.

(Minute 3: Anchoring to the Breath)

• As you continue to breathe, your mind will likely wander – this is completely normal! Thoughts, sounds, or sensations might pull your attention away.
• Each time you notice your mind has drifted, gently acknowledge where it went (e.g., “thinking,” “sound”) without judgment, and then softly redirect your focus back to the sensation of your breath.
• The breath is your anchor in this present moment. Each return to the breath is a moment of mindfulness.

(Minute 4: Exploring Sensations)

• Continue to follow the full cycle of each breath: the coolness of the air as you inhale, the pause at the top of the breath, the warmth of the air as you exhale, the pause at the end.
• Notice any subtle sensations in your body as you breathe. Perhaps a softening in your shoulders, a release in your jaw, or a sense of calm spreading.
• Simply observe these sensations with gentle curiosity.

(Minute 5: Returning and Carrying Calm Forward)

• As these five minutes draw to a close, allow your breath to return to its natural rhythm if you were consciously deepening it.
• Take a moment to notice how you feel now, compared to when you started. Is there a bit more space? A little more calm?
• When you’re ready, gently wiggle your fingers and toes. If your eyes were closed, allow them to slowly open, taking in your surroundings.
• Carry this sense of mindful presence with you as you move back into your day.

Integrating Mindful Breathing into Your Life

This simple 5-minute exercise can be a powerful reset button. You can practice it:

• When you wake up, to start your day with intention.
• During a stressful moment at work.
• Before an important meeting or conversation.
• When you feel overwhelmed or anxious.
• Before bed, to help you unwind.

The more you practice, the easier it becomes to access this state of calm and presence. Mindful breathing is a skill that, like any other, strengthens with use. It’s a beautiful way to connect with yourself and cultivate a little more peace in your everyday life, reflecting the core principles of holistic wellness we embrace at Enlightened.

Interested in exploring more mindfulness practices or personalized guidance?

At Enlightened, Larissa Giles offers Holistic Wellness Coaching and Spiritual Wellness sessions that can help you develop a deeper mindfulness practice and integrate it effectively into your life.