21 Mindfulness Exercises

Counting Breaths

1. Sit in a comfortable position with your back straight and body relaxed.
2. Breathe in gently through your nose and silently count one in your mind. Breathe out through your nose and raise one finger.
3. Breathe in through your nose and silently count two in your mind. Breathe out through your nose and raise two fingers.
4. Breathe in through your nose and silently count three in your mind. Breathe out through your nose and raise three fingers.
5. Relax your shoulders and gently open your eyes.

Belly Breath

1. Lie on your back with your legs flat on the floor. If you feel comfortable, you may close your eyes. Place your arms by your side and feel your body relax.
2. Place a stuffed animal on your belly. When you breathe in, watch the stuffed animal move up. When you breathe out, watch the stuffed animal gently fall back down.
3. Find a rhythm with your breathing as you observe the stuffed animal rock up and down with each breath.

Candle Breath

1. Imagine that you are holding a candle.
2. Take a deep breath in through your nose and hold for a brief second.
3. Breathe out through your mouth toward the candle. Do not blow the flame out, but instead watch the flame flicker gently.
4. Take a gentle breath in and out.
5. Take a gentle breath in and out.
6. Take one final deep breath in and now blow out the candle.

Flower Breath

1. Imagine that there is a beautiful flower in front of you.
2. Look at all of the vibrant colors. Imagine how delicate the flower is as you count each petal. Imagine how sweet the flower smells.
3. Take a deep sniff of the flower.
4. Let the air out of your mouth.
5. Take another deep sniff of the flower.
6. Let the air out of your mouth.

Bear Breath

1. Imagine that you are a sleeping bear hibernating for winter. You are warm and cozy.
2. Take a long breath in through your nose like a snoozing bear.
3. Release that deep breath out through your mouth.
4. Imagine that you are hibernating in your safe cave with your family.
5. Take another long breath in through your nose and out through your mouth.
6. Continue to be at peace like a sleeping bear.

Bumblebee Breath

1. You are a buzzing bumblebee!
2. Spread your arms out like wings.
3. Breathe in as you lift your arms up into the air. Hold for a brief moment.
4. Let your arms gently fall down like flapping wings as you breathe out.
5. On the out breath “buzz” like a bee for as long as you can.
6. Take another deep breath in and “buzz” as you breathe out.

Good Thoughts

1. Think about someone that you care deeply about.
2. Close your eyes and imagine that this person is standing in front of you.
3. Think of something about this person that you admire.
4. Say this good thought quietly in your mind.
5. Send this good thought to the person that you care about.

Pizza Breath

1. Imagine that there is a scolding hot pizza on a plate in front of you.
2. What type of pizza is it? Do you have extra cheese, sausage, pepperoni, or pineapple? Imagine your favorite pizza.
3. Your belly starts to grumble.
4. First you need to cool the pizza off. Take a deep breath in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth. Cool off that pizza.
5. Breathe in and blow out one more time before you take a bite.

Cupcake Breath

1. It’s your birthday! You are celebrating by eating a delicious cupcake.
2. What type of icing is on top? Do you have rainbow or chocolate sprinkles?
3. Before you can take a bite, you will need to gently blow out the candle.
4. Think about a positive wish you would like to make.
5. Breathe in through your nose and slowly breathe out through your mouth.
6. Blow out the candle and make your wish.

Happy Place

1. Close your eyes and imagine a place that makes you feel happy, calm, and safe.
2. Breathe in and breathe out gently.
3. Think about how calm you feel.
4. Imagine your favorite place. What do you see? Are you somewhere warm or cold? Is it night time or in the early morning.
5. What do you hear?
6. What do you smell?
7. Breathe in gently through your nose and out through your mouth.

Cozy Fire

1. Imagine that you are sitting by a warm and cozy fire.
2. Look at the way the flames light up the room. What colors do you see? Red, orange, yellow.
3. Breathe in through your nose. Smell the beautiful scents of the warm fire.
4. Hold for a moment. Breathe out through your mouth.
5. How does your body feel as you sit by this fire? Warm? Safe?
6. Breathe in and out one more time as you imagine the cozy fire.

Ocean Waves

1. Imagine that you are sitting in the sand on the beach. You feel calm. You feel happy.
2. As you sit in peace, you watch the waves gently rise and fall.
3. With each rising wave, breathe in through your nose.
4. With each falling wave, breathe out through your mouth.
5. As you breathe in that fresh salt air, think about how this makes your body feel.
6. Breathe in gently and breathe out one final time.

Shoulder Rolls

1. Sit up straight and get into a comfortable position in your chair.
2. Bring your shoulders up as high as you can.
3. Breathe in as your shoulders rise.
4. Breathe out as you let your shoulders fall back down.
5. Now move your shoulders in a circular motion.
6. Lift them up and move them down. Continue to roll your shoulders.
7. Breathe in again as you bring your shoulders up as high as you can.
8. Breathe out as you let your shoulders fall back down.

Neck Stretch

1. Sit up straight and get into a comfortable position in your chair.
2. Gently let your head fall to one side.
3. Breathe in and breathe out.
4. Gently let your head fall to the other side.
5. Breathe in and breathe out.
6. Sit up straight and tall.
7. Let your head fall toward your belly.
8. Breathe in and breathe out.

Squeeze & Let Go

1. Close your eyes and breathe in and breathe out gently.
2. Scrunch up your toes and release any tension that you may be feeling.
3. Squeeze your stomach muscles and gently release.
4. Make your hands into fists and release slowly.
5. Squeeze your eyes together.
6. Take a long breath in.
7. Let the air out through your mouth as you let all of your muscles go.
8. Let your whole body relax.

Mountain Breath

1. As you inhale through your nose, raise your arms as high as you can and bring your palms together over the top of your head.
2. Imagine that you are as tall as a mountain.
3. As you exhale, bring your palms down in front of your chest.
4. Repeat this process one more time.

Square Breath

1. Breathe in to a count of four and then hold the breath for four counts.
2. Then breathe out to a count of four and wait for a count of four before breathing again.
3. Repeat this one more time.
4. This time you will draw a square in the air to keep you on track.

Balloon Breath

1. Sit up straight and get into a comfortable position in your chair.
2. Place your hands around your mouth as if you are about to blow up a balloon.
3. Take a deep breath in through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
4. Start to spread your hands out as if you are blowing up a big balloon.
5. Hold your hand position as you inhale again and then spread your hands further as you exhale.
6. Raise your hands to the sky as you let the balloon go.

Back to Back

1. Find a partner and sit on the floor back to back.
2. Sit up straight and close your eyes.
3. One partner will begin by breathing in deeply and then exhaling slowly.
4. Their partner will feel the expansion in their partner’s back each time they breathe in and out.
5. The other person will begin to breathe and will try to match their breathing to their partner’s breathing.

Elephant Breath

1. Stand with your feet spread apart and your arms out in front of your body dangling like an elephant’s trunk.
2. As you breathe in through your nose, raise your arms up above your head.
3. As you exhale, slowly swing your arms down.
4. Repeat this process one more time.

Rainbow Breath

1. Close your eyes and sit in a comfortable position.
2. Imagine a beautiful vibrant rainbow.
3. Breathe in gently through your nose and out through your mouth imagining the color red.
4. Breathe in again through your nose and out through your mouth imagining the color orange.
5. Repeat this process for every color of the rainbow until you have finished the entire rainbow.

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