Our full selection of articles exploring mindfulness.
The raisin exercise for mindfulness, also known as the raisin meditation, is a way to practice staying present, even during activities that we normally do on autopilot. To do the exercise, you take a raisin and slowly observe it with all of your senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound. Then, you pay attention to…
If you’re wondering how to be more present, there’s no switch you can flip for instant results. Instead, being more present and mindful is a matter of improving a little every day. While imperceptible in the moment, this has enormous impact over time. Like going to the gym, learning to be more present and mindful…
What is mindful language learning? Many of the obstacles to language learning are self-imposed: self-doubt, self-judgment, ego. Mindfulness practices like self-compassion, gratitude, and nonjudgment can help you overcome these obstacles and make quicker progress towards learning. If you’ve hit a wall when learning a new language, there may be a solution you haven’t tried yet:…
The 9 Attitudes of Mindfulness is a concept from meditation teacher and writer Jon Kabat-Zinn. Because mindfulness can feel like a massive topic, choosing a single mindfulness “subtopic” to focus on from among the 9 Attitudes can be an effective way to grow your practice. Jon Kabat-Zinn is one of the most influential voices in…
This is a slightly different kind of Best Mindfulness Books list, with books from mindfulness experts but also experts from other fields. My goal with this list of top mindfulness books is to meet you where you are on your mindfulness journey. It’s got essential books from mindfulness experts like Jon Kabat-Zinn and Matthieu Ricard,…
Mindfulness with music is the art of applying present-moment awareness to music. Learn what mindful music listening is, what types of music can be used, and how to listen to music mindfully in 7 steps. Ever listen to a song and feel like you were getting completely absorbed in the music? Noticing the different layers…
Zoom meetings and virtual meetings can be chaotic and overwhelming. Whether you’re trying to manage a virtual classroom full of students, running a business meeting, or conducting a remote mindfulness or meditation seminar, mindfulness can help. Mindfulness activities are a great way to set the tone for your virtual meeting, or to help reset the…
Mindlessness. We’ve all been there. For me, it strikes most often when I’m at my least rested, or perhaps already experiencing a low mood. My mind struggles even more than usual to stay present, and the appeal of mindlessness grows, because if the present moment is uncomfortable—well, maybe letting my thoughts drift isn’t so bad….
A one minute mindfulness exercise is anything you can do in 60 seconds or less to center yourself, ground yourself, and pull yourself into present awareness. These routines are brief, but help you incorporate the principles of mindfulness into your life — especially when you’re short on time. In an ideal world, every day we…
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a method to analyze troubling situations in your life, notice which of the beliefs that you hold are negative or inaccurate, and replace the negative beliefs with positive beliefs. A method called Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) combines CBT with Mindfulness. If you’re practicing mindfulness, you might notice some similarities when…
Mindfulness is associated with an extensive list of benefits and studies. But which benefits are backed by research, and which aren’t? The below list of mindfulness benefits links out to recent studies on each topic. If your mindfulness practice has stagnated, this impressive list of mindfulness benefits will get you moving again! 1. Mindfulness can…
Wondering how to stop overthinking at night? It isn’t an easy or quick process. However, there are a few things you can do. First, reduce the other issues that may be affecting your sleep. Get the basics of your sleep hygiene right. Second, tackle overthinking directly by addressing your anxiety and worry about the past…
Concentrative meditation is a technique in which you focus the power of your attention on a single object in the present moment. For example, you might focus on the inhalation and exhalation of your breath, or the flickering of a candle’s flame. Meditation is really just a form of attention training. Rather than letting your…
Mindfulness is an underrated tool when it comes to relaxation techniques. Mindfulness practices can make your mind more calm and more resilient against stress. This often pairs well with relaxation, which has the primary goal of calming your mind and body and lowering stress. When it comes to mindfulness and meditation, the goal for most…
Wondering how to set intentions? Sometimes, it can feel like life is happening “to” you. By setting intentions, you may find you’re able to live more purposefully and make progress towards the life you want to live. In this article, we’ll walk through how to set intentions, how it’s different than setting a goal, and…
Awareness vs mindfulness is a tricky concept to untangle, because the two concepts are so closely aligned. Both awareness and mindfulness involve observing your thoughts, emotions, and environments. The key difference between awareness and mindfulness is that mindfulness promotes nonjudgmental observation. Mindfulness and awareness are two concepts that are easy to confuse. While the two…
What is mindfulness? Mindfulness is the practice of purposefully focusing on the present moment nonjudgmentally. It is closely associated with meditation, but mindfulness goes broader, including practices like gratitude that don’t fall under the umbrella of meditation. Mindfulness is a huge topic, and it’s hard to know where to start, or even nail down exactly…
There are a few things you can do to help induce a state of flow, starting with finding an activity that you enjoy (but that also challenges you). Then, practice it enough to become experienced at it. In this article, we’ll explore how to achieve a state of flow, and look at 11 flow triggers…
Monotasking—focusing on one thing at a time—is a way to apply mindfulness to your work life, increase your productivity, and improve your odds at ending up in a state of flow. If you find yourself jumping from task to task while working, you’re not alone. In a world full of distractions, multitasking is a common…
The main difference between mindfulness and flow is that mindfulness requires that you maintain awareness, while flow requires you to become immersed in an activity. Flow is a state of mind reached when you’re entirely immersed in an activity, to the point where you may lose track of time and forget yourself. Mindfulness, in contrast,…
