Mindfulness Techniques & Practices

Mindfulness techniques and practices are methods used to bring you to the present moment, create self awareness, while helping you become more attentive, calm, and emotionally balanced. 

These practices include formal approaches like mindful breathing, body scans, and meditation, as well as informal techniques such as mindful observations, walking, and listening. By focusing attention on thoughts, sensations, and surroundings without judgment, mindfulness fosters greater self awareness and stress reduction. 

How to Practice Mindfulness? 

Practicing mindfulness doesn’t need to feel like a chore or another thing to add to your daily to do list. You can spend just minutes out of your often busy schedule to focus on you, and really feel the difference in yourself, your emotions, and your surroundings, bringing you closer to the things that really matter. 

Formal Mindfulness Practices

Formal mindfulness practices are structured exercises specifically designed to develop and deepen present moment awareness. If you can find a quiet setting and dedicate just 10 minutes of your time to focus on the mind and body, we have some mindfulness techniques outlined for you below.

These include mindful breathing, body scan meditation, sitting meditation, and loving-kindness meditation. Through regular practice, these methods can help you build concentration, reduce stress, and bring a sense of calm and clarity that can positively influence your daily life.

Will you give them a try? 

Mindful Breathing

If you can, find a quiet space, or block out any external noise with calming music, even when travelling or in a workspace. Focus your attention on your breath.

Observe the inhale and exhale without trying to change them. Gently return your focus to the breath when your mind wanders.

Body Scan Meditation

Bring awareness to each part of your body from toe to head. Start with focusing on your feet, calves, thighs, stomach, lower back, upper back, chest, right arm, left arm, neck, back of the neck and head. 

Notice how you feel? You may feel sensations like warmth, tension, or tingling or you may feel nothing at all. And that is okay, remember if your mind starts to wander, that is also fine, but to bring yourself back to the present moment focus on your breath. How do you feel now?

If you need help getting started listen to this Daily Calm 10 minute Mindfulness Meditation video. 

Sitting Meditation

Sit comfortably with a straight spine on a chair, on the floor against the wall or a cushion. Just like with mindful breathing and body scan practice, focus on your breath, bodily sensations, or even a mantra. 

Meditation mantras are words, phrases, or sounds repeated silently or out loud during meditation to help focus the mind, reduce distractions, and promote a state of inner calm. They can be spiritual, traditional, or purely secular, and are often chosen for their sound, meaning, or emotional resonance. 

You can try to add affirmations to your practice, by either saying them out loud or silently 3 times, for example “I am calm and cantered”, “I can let go of things that no longer serve me”, “I am enough.” 

This practice helps individuals find non-judgmental awareness of thoughts and feelings and often raises your vibrations. 

Informal Mindfulness Practices

Integrated into everyday activities, informal mindfulness practices allow you to bring presence and calm without needing a dedicated meditation session. 

These practices integrate mindfulness into routine tasks such as observations, walking, listening, or even doing household chores. By paying full attention to the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that arise during these moments, people can develop a deeper sense of awareness and appreciation for the present. 

Informal mindfulness helps bridge the gap between meditation and daily life, making it a practical and accessible way to build long-term mindfulness habits.

Mindful Walking

This is a simple, yet powerful practice that involves walking slowly and attentively, focusing on the sensations in your feet and legs as they move. 

As you walk, bring awareness to your pace, the rhythm of your steps, your breath, and the environment around you. This practice helps ground you in the present moment, offering a calming break from mental distractions and promoting both physical and mental clarity.

Mindful Listening

When was the last time you spoke to someone and fully paid attention to what they were saying without interjecting, sharing or asking questions? 

It can be a difficult practice to master, however a very important one. When giving full attention to someone who speaks, notice your impulses to interrupt or judge, and return to listening. Note how you feel following this practice. 

Mindful Daily Activities

Choose a routine activity for example  washing dishes, brushing teeth, hoovering, or anything else, and turn it into an opportunity for mindfulness. By slowing down and paying close attention to each movement, sensation, and detail, you bring full awareness to the present moment. 

This simple shift transforms ordinary actions into calming, grounding experiences, helping to reduce stress and increase focus throughout your day.

What are Mindfulness Techniques? 

Similar to the practice of mindfulness, the techniques used do not need to follow any strict rules, they are simply a guidance to help you find your own rhythm and bring you closer to calmness and balance.

Below we outlined some of the most popular mindfulness techniques, which you can incorporate to the formal and informal mindfulness practices. 

Breathing Exercises 

4-7-8 Breathing

What is it and its benefits: The 4-7-8 breathing technique is a deep breathing exercise designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes a state of calm and relaxation. It can be especially helpful for reducing anxiety, managing stress, lowering blood pressure, and preparing the body for restful sleep. Practicing this technique regularly may also help improve emotional regulation and support overall well-being.

How to practice: Sit or lie down comfortably. Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 7 seconds, allowing your body to settle into stillness. Then, exhale slowly and fully through your mouth for 8 seconds, making a gentle whooshing sound. Repeat the cycle for 4 to 8 rounds, gradually increasing as you become more comfortable.

Box Breathing

What is it and its benefits: Box breathing, also known as square breathing, is a simple but powerful technique used by athletes, military personnel, and individuals seeking to reduce stress and sharpen concentration. It helps regulate the breath, calm the nervous system, and promote mental clarity. Over time, it can support emotional balance, improve lung capacity, and enhance resilience to stress.

How to practice: Find a quiet place to sit upright and comfortably. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of 4 seconds. Hold your breath for 4 seconds. Exhale slowly through your mouth for 4 seconds. Hold your breath again for 4 seconds. That completes one box. Repeat the cycle for several minutes, visualising a square with each breath to reinforce focus and rhythm.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

What is it and its benefits: Alternate nostril breathing, or Nadi Shodhana in yogic tradition, is a breathing practice used to balance the left and right hemispheres of the brain. It calms the mind, reduces anxiety, and supports mental clarity and emotional stability. It is also said to purify the energy channels in the body, helping to enhance concentration and promote inner peace.

How to practice: Sit in a comfortable position with your spine straight. Using your right thumb, close your right nostril and inhale slowly through your left nostril. Then, close your left nostril with your ring finger, release your thumb, and exhale through your right nostril. Inhale through the right nostril, then close it and exhale through the left. This completes one round. Continue for 5–10 minutes, maintaining a steady, relaxed rhythm.

Mantras & Affirmations 

Mindfulness techniques often incorporate mantras and affirmations which are concise, intention setting phrases repeated silently or out loud to steady attention and inspire positive mental states. 

A mantra such as the Sanskrit “Om” anchors the mind in sound and rhythm, while personal affirmations reinforce self-belief and emotional balance. Repetition of phrases during practices like sitting meditation, mindful walking, or breathwork helps interrupt habitual thought patterns, guiding awareness back to the present moment each time it drifts. 

Additionally, repeating or writing down affirmations such as “I am calm and cantered”, “I can let go of things that no longer serve me”, “I am enough”, or “I am loved” can help you regulate your emotions and bring you closer to you. You can even try to incorporate it into journaling practice with affirmation cards, such as Aura Affirmations from Affirmed Collective.

Over time, the combined effect of mindfulness, mantras, and affirmations can reduce stress, enhance focus, and foster a more compassionate, resilient outlook in daily life.

Mindful Listening 

Mindful listening is a mindfulness technique that involves giving your full, undivided attention to the person speaking, without interrupting, judging, or mentally preparing a response. It encourages presence, empathy, and deeper connection in conversations by focusing completely on the speaker’s words, tone, and body language. 

Practicing mindful listening can improve communication, reduce misunderstandings, and foster mutual respect. For example, during a conversation, pause all distractions, put your phone away, make eye contact, and listen closely. If your mind starts to wander or form a reply, gently bring your focus back to the speaker’s words. After they finish, take a moment before responding to ensure your reply is thoughtful and grounded in what they shared.

To summarise, mindfulness is not about perfection or clearing your mind entirely, it’s about showing up for yourself in the present moment, exactly as you are. Whether you choose formal practices like meditation and breathwork, or informal ones like mindful walking or listening, each small step can lead to meaningful change. 

By incorporating even just a few of these mindfulness techniques into your daily routine, you can create space for greater self-awareness, emotional balance, and calm. The beauty of mindfulness lies in its simplicity and accessibility. You don’t need special tools or a lot of time, just the intention to be present. Start small, stay consistent, and watch how your perspective begins to shift.