Mindfulness and Self-Care
COMING SOON!
Mindfulness and Self-Care: A Foundational Series for Emotional Wellness
START HERE
Part 1 of a seven-part psychoeducational series for beginning mindfulness practice–an essential component of an emotionally healthy life.
JOIN ME
for FREE Mindful Mondays via Zoom every Monday at 12 pm to practice new techniques, build a routine, and hone your skill. Register to join or subscribe for updates to follow along later.
Catch up with prior practices below.
Mindful Mondays Mindful Participation with Others
F! feeling scattered, let’s practice mindful participation! As we come up on the holiday season, where our lives get hectic, but we tend to take time off work to spend with our families, I’d like to focus on the basic purpose of mindfulness—being present. In that spirit, this mindful Monday, I’m encouraging you to practice…
Mindful Breathing–2-to-1 Breathing
Let’s practice 2-to-1 mindful breathing so we can better enjoy the holiday season! I know we all love our close friends and family, but spending time with them can be anxiety provoking. This mindful breathing technique is a quick way to find calm and center yourself so when Aunt Kay double dips you don’t react…
Mindful Breathing–Ocean Breath
Ujjayi, or Ocean Breath (also called victorious breath, snake breathing, whispering breathing, and snoring breathing) is a slow, concentrated mindful breathing technique. It can be beneficial for: Increasing oxygen levels Reducing tension Improving concentration Regulating body temperature Lowering blood pressure Reducing symptoms of depression The sanskrit translation of “ujjayi” is “to be victorious,” which, according…
Mindful Body Scan
Body scan mindfulness is observing the state of your body in the moment. Bringing awareness to what aches, what tingles, what is sore and becoming curious about each of these sensations and the connections they have in our minds. The benefits are: Boost self-awareness Reduce tension Improve sleep Increase focus One of the purposes of…
Mindful Breathing–Three-Part Breath
Let’s F! All That and take a few minutes for mindful breathing! This mindful breathing technique is a great way to begin challenging your ability to control your breath. Dirga Pranayama, or Three-Part Breath, forces your attention to the different spaces of breathing in your chest. It is great for keeping your attention on…
Mindful Breathing–Bee Breathing
This is a great mindful breathing practice for beginners, busy people, and children! Actively making sounds and engaging your hands means it is easier to focus on the technique instead of unwanted thoughts. Any time you are making sounds it gives you the opportunity to be silly, but also explore what sounds affect you in…
Mindful Breathing–Belly Breathing
Belly breathing is a basic mindful breathing technique that I use nearly every time I practice mindfulness. It is not something we do naturally when we are conscious, but it is how we breath when we sleep. It delivers the highest level of oxygen to our muscles, which explain the relaxation and release of tension…
Mindful Breathing–Nadi Sodhana
Nadi Sodhana Pranayama, or Alternate Nostril Breathing, is a mindful breathing technique aimed at promoting overall well-being. Nadi means “flow” and sodhana means “purification” in Sanskrit, and together means, “subtle energy clearing breathing technique.” Some research has shown benefits of stress reduction and cardiovascular improvement. There is speculation that it can help lung function, as…
Mindful Breathing–Sama Vittri
This mindful breathing technique, Sama Vritti Pranayama, known by many as box breathing or square breathing (DBT folks), is used to balance the breath through our bodies. It can reduce stress, increase focus, lower anxiety, and create a sense of calm in those who practice it regularly. I’m a fan of this technique because the…
Loving Kindness of Self
Loving Kindness In the years I have been introducing the Loving-Kindness Prayer or Metta Meditation to clients, I have noticed that most struggle with the first or the second stanza. For our purposes, we are focusing on the first stanza, the words about loving the self. As discussed by Shauna Shapiro in the YouTube video…
