Nearly everyone has heard the term “mindfulness,” but not everyone knows what mindfulness actually means. In fact, if you type the word Mindfulness into Google, you’ll be overwhelmed by the number of articles, books, videos, and content that appears. So I’ll save you two minutes—once you hit enter, over 739 MILLION results appear on Google alone.

Xander from Rhodes, Greece, wrote in and said, “Danielle, I have listened to every episode of your podcast, and you often mention being mindful or use the word mindfulness. I’ve heard a lot about mindfulness over the last year, but I’m not sure I know what it means or how to be mindful. Can you put mindfulness into simple terms that we can all understand? And is there an easy way to practice mindfulness that helps us in our healing and growth journey?

I love this question. I agree; the practice and ideas behind mindfulness can feel a bit confusing.

So, let’s break it down. First, mindfulness is the basic human ability to be present. It’s the practice of conscious awareness when it comes to our thoughts, emotions, and giving ourselves the ability to acknowledge and accept what is occurring around us, through us, and not overly react or become overwhelmed.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines Mindfulness as “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

There are seven pillars, principals, or attitudes, whatever you wish to call them, in Mindfulness, and I want to touch on those briefly.  

#1 Non-judgment

#2 Patience

#3 Beginner’s Mindset

#4 Trust.

#5 Non-striving

#6 Acceptance

#7 Letting go

These benefits are at the top of the list, but there are many others.

So, let’s jump right into a few extremely, nearly effectless ways to shift the busy mind into slowing down and coming into a state of now.  

The first is the Mindful Hand Awareness Exercise.

Grasp your hands together tightly and concentrate on your hands for 5 to 10 seconds. Keep your attention focused on the feeling for as long as you can.

Next up: Full Sensory Awareness Practice.

This, too, is simple, but does take a bit more introspection.

Wherever you are, stop and look around, when it’s safe to do so. Become aware of your surroundings and allow your senses to take over. A reminder of your primary senses: what can you see, hear, taste, touch, feel and smell. As you take in your surroundings, begin to ask yourself present moment awareness questions:

How do I feel?

What do I hear?

What do I smell?

Take a mental note and keep observing without judgment. What is going on around you?

This is a practice that can be done throughout your day.

Another mindful practice is to use the power of your breath. Use the word CALM as a breathing exercise guide.

The C stands for Chest – Notice your breath entering your chest, and feel the rise and fall as the breath fills your body.

A – stands for Arms. As you breathe in, bring your shoulders up toward your ears, and as you exhale, relax your arms back into a neutral position.

L is for legs. As you continue to breathe in and out, gently squeeze your thighs and leg muscles together, holding the tension, and then release with your exhale.

M is for mouth. Gently open your jaw, bringing your breath in and out through your mouth. Then move your jaw side-to-side before your next inhale and exhale.

That’s it.

As you progress in your mindfulness practice, you can practice the body scan, work on holding space, and drawing your attention to your thoughts and emotions…there are many different ways to practice mindfulness. The key is to simply be aware, be present, don’t overthink it. That’s the foundation of mindfulness.

Thank you so much for the question, Xander! I challenge each of you to you reset your mindset.   

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