4 Simple Mindfulness Exercises to Relax your Mind

Mindfulness is a practice. The practice is the only way to be present.

Photo by Oksana Taran on Unsplash

Mindfulness is the raw human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. While mindfulness is something we all naturally possess, it’s more readily available to us when we practice daily.

Whenever you bring awareness to what you’re directly experiencing via your senses or to your state of mind via thoughts and emotions, you’re mindful. And there’s growing research showing that you’re actually remodeling your brain’s physical structure when you train your brain to be aware.

Practice awareness and find a sense of calm. For a moment, let go of the worry, fear, and distractions —

We all face stressful situations throughout our lives, ranging from minor annoyances like traffic jams to more serious worries, such as a loved one’s grave illness. No matter what the cause, stress floods your body with hormones. Your heart pounds, your breathing speeds up, and your muscles tense.

This is called “stress response,” which is a normal reaction to threatening situations, honed in our prehistory…