When most of us think of mindfulness, we think if the formal practice of sitting meditation. We think of bringing our attention to our moment by moment experience of following our breath in and out of our body for increasing periods of time, but that’s not the only way to practice. And a formal seated mindfulness meditation practice isn’t for everyone. Sometimes it can aggravate an underlying post traumatic condition and make things worse.

The informal practices of mindfulness can be more engaging and easier to manage, especially if you are like me and live with post traumatic stress.

So, before I get into the 3 ways you can engage with life mindfully and receive all the benefits without having to be seated and still, I’d like to review what mindfulness is in the first place. Mindfulness is the moment to moment awareness of your personal experience (externally and internally) free from attachment, judgement or criticism. So as you read through this list, notice what you’re already doing- and maybe also notice if you’re also doing it free from attachment, judgement and criticism. Because that’s where many of us stumble.

The 3 Ways you might already be practicing mindfulness…

1. Mindful Cooking — one of the most sensory engaging activities we can play with is cooking. Not only does it engage our olfactory system and releasing serotonin when flooded with good memories that uplift our mood, it engages our whole being through sounds of sizzling, the vibrancy of colors, and the textures of foods as we cut, knead or mix our ingredients. When done mindfully and playfully cooking can be a beneficial therapy on its own!
2. Mindful Gardening — it doesn’t matter if you are growing herbs, a chia pet or a full garden filled with vegetable and fruits. Connecting with nature in this way can be deeply restorative and healing to our nervous system.
3. Mindful Painting — this is for all of you who are creative. Maybe you enjoy decorating ornaments and personalizing them for friends and family. Maybe you enjoy buying old furniture and restoring it, or turning it into something new. Maybe you simply enjoy sitting down with finger paints, water colors or oils and set yourself free on a canvas or paint pad. Whatever you choose, mindful painting brings a focus and soothing to our mind as we are engaged in the art.

I bet you didn’t know you were already engaged in a few mindful activities! Mindfulness can positively transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you when done in a way that honors your unique needs, instead of forcing ourselves to follow the herd when we know in our gut that it’s just not the right fit. Sometimes this means working with a mindful living coach 1–1, and sometimes it means testing out a variety of modalities until you find something you’re comfortable being consistent with; because consistency is where the magic happens. Putting mindfulness into scattered action is good short term, but for long term benefits repetition is key. So find something you enjoy… and engage in it often and mindfully!