Your mindfulness day

A day full of mindfulness in the middle of everyday life: tips and suggestions for regenerating quality time with yourself.

Mindfulness is a wonderful practice for centering yourself and finding stillness. This allows you to regain more composure and confidence, especially in wild times. The beginning of spring is particularly suitable for realigning yourself mentally and emotionally. Our suggestion for more clarity: a mindfulness day for you at home.

If you want to spend a whole day or even a whole weekend on a mindfulness retreat at home, you can delve deep into all aspects: meditation, yoga, philosophical thoughts, mindful eating and cooking, samu (mindful housework) and reflection in diary form in addition.

A day with me

Life is now. Exactly here. Of course we all know this, and yet we often get lost in worries and thoughts about the future or about past events and experiences. Especially in uncertain and challenging times, mindfulness practice can help us to be more present again. The practice teaches us to consciously perceive the present moment without judging it, and to be attentive to our actions and thoughts, rather than allowing ourselves to be caught up in a whirlpool of tension, restlessness and sensory overload due to daily demands. By breaking unconscious reaction patterns that no longer work, we can succeed in reshaping the present through conscious, present action. More action instead of reaction. Sounds good? Is also good!

But back to start and a brief definition of the term mindfulness. Mindfulness practice emerged from the Buddhist tradition. Under the term Sati, it represents one of the links of the “noble eightfold path”, one of the foundations of Buddhist practice. This is primarily about developing a finer awareness of our perception of reality, which is always linked to subjective feelings.

The practice of mindfulness gained particular popularity in the 1970s thanks to Jon Kabat-Zin, a molecular biologist, who, with his multi-week MBSR program ( Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction ), removed mindfulness from its spiritual context and used it, among other things, as a program for stress reduction, at Burn -out, depression and anxiety disorders set in.

Meditation is mindfulness

Meditation is fundamental to mindfulness practice. During meditation, you focus on an object, often your own breath or your body. You become an observer of your thoughts, looking at what is going on without judging. As soon as we concentrate on the breath, we notice that we are constantly thinking. This thinking largely consists of evaluations and opinions, is imprecise, and constantly jumps back and forth. You can use your breath to focus your mind by repeatedly directing it to your breathing and allowing the empty spaces between breaths to become longer. This way, your entire system can be shut down and relaxed through conscious breathing. Maybe you start with a small meditation session in the morning? Sit in silence for five minutes and observe your breathing and also notice the state of your mind. As usual, without judging, no matter how much turmoil is going on in your head and heart.

In addition to physical well-being, the practice of a mindfulness day also serves to gain more insight into essential things, to recognize the interdependence of things and the causes of difficult situations. At the same time, it is important to maintain a certain aimlessness in order not to build up pressure and to remain without expectations. But mindfulness is much more than giving yourself a little rest from the loud noise and demands of everyday life. In the tradition of Buddhist mindfulness practice, being mindful always means taking certain ethical foundations into account, similar to the Yamas and Niyamas ² in the yoga tradition of the eight-fold path according to Patanjali. This includes protecting the lives of people, animals and plants, not stealing or killing, having loving relationships and communicating and consuming mindfully.

Structure of a mindfulness day

If you want to spend a whole day or even a whole weekend on a mindfulness retreat at home, you can delve deep into all aspects: meditation, yoga, philosophical thoughts, mindful eating and cooking, samu (mindful housework) and reflection in diary form in addition.

On a mindfulness day, you try to be mindful in everything you do: brushing your teeth, doing laundry, cooking, or meditating. At best, you spend the day in silence. Let your family and roommates know that they will leave you alone, turn off your phone and computer, or, if you are practicing with friends or family, agree to remain silent and clarify everything organizationally with each other in advance. The daily program is always structured the same, but can of course be varied and shortened, including the following points:

Daily motto

In mindfulness philosophy, a distinction is made between the four heavenly states of abiding, which show different ways of looking at things and perspectives, but all belong to one heart, for example yours – emotionally and mentally. They are perfect as a daily motto for your practice. Try to continually align your mindfulness practice with your chosen motto.

• Benevolence
• compassion
• Joy
• equanimity

Waking up and getting up: Bodycsan

Immediately after waking up, while still lying in bed, you start with the body scan: You first concentrate on your breathing and then move your attention through the body little by little: hands, arms, legs, abdomen, stomach, chest, spine, Neck, face, head, hair. Notice all sensory impressions, the weight of the blanket, noises. Finally, lounge and stand up.

Morning toilet

Try to be as mindful as possible when you brush your teeth, wash your face, or take a shower.

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

Focus your attention on your body at all meals—preparing the meal, during it, and afterward. Maybe you recognize routines and automatisms? Eat slowly and take conscious breaks. Do not let anything distract you. Stop eating when you are full and only eat when you are hungry.

Meditations

Meditations (45 minutes sitting meditation, 15 minutes walking meditation) – set a timer. Traditionally, sitting and walking meditations alternate several times. As a beginner, you can also start with 5 or 15 minutes instead of 45 minutes. Find a seat where your spine is straight. Watch your breath. Notice how your thoughts interfere. Return to breathing until the timer goes off. During walking meditation, you slowly place your feet one after the other: heels, balls of your feet, toes. Notice pressure, heaviness, lightness, weight shifts or swaying as you walk.

yoga

As a practiced yogi, you are welcome to practice your favorite sequence. Otherwise, look for gentle movements that mobilize the spine and gently loosen up your body after sitting.

Dharma talk

Listen to philosophical lectures on the topic or inspiring podcasts, read literature or poems that let you stay in mindfulness mode.

Leisure time

Maybe take a bath, go for a walk, or just rest. Do anything that brings you joy and doesn’t take you out of the mindful mood.

Samu – mindful housework

Find an activity that needs to be done anyway, like sorting shelves or doing laundry. Would you rather vacuum or paint a wall? That’s fine, as long as it stays within the time frame.

Reflection and diary

Finally, in the evening, write down thoughts, feelings, ideas and experiences, or discuss them in the group.